Death of a Dreamer by Alison Behnke

The story of the tragic killing of John Lennon, Alison Behnke offers a well-rounded view of not only the death of John Lennon but of his life, the life of his killer and the world they lived in. The book has six chapters each focusing on a separate part of the story. Chapter 1 is a brief biography of John Lennon with Chapter 2 shifting to focus on his political side – the side that fought for freedom and peace as well as the politics that surrounded him. Chapter 3 switches sides and offers the biography of Mark David Chapman. This is the lesser known part of this story. Mark David Chapman was a complex and sympathetic character who, to this day, is still shrouded in mystery. Chapter 4 gives the reader detailed information of the days that lead up to the assassination of John Lennon from both perspectives. Chapter 5 is the trial and the conviction of Mark David Chapman. The book ends with the standard wrap-up and where are they now. Anyone interested in the Beatles and John Lennon would benefit from this book. It is written for a juvenile audience and does a fair job of explaining all the roles and words that come into play. I was fascinated by the story. In the end, it was hard to draw sides. While Mark David Chapman did commit a heinous crime, I can’t help but feel sorry for him and feel that a life in solitary confinement is more than a punishment. I find that the world surrounding this incident has nearly as much fault and I am not alone. It makes me wonder what the world could be like if we strive to give peace a chance and if political conflicts can ever be solved.

Two Moon Princess by Carmen Ferreiro-Esteban

It took a little work but not much to get into this story. I wasn’t sure what to think about it at first and then suddenly I was swept away and could not put it down. This is the story of Princess Andrea. A mix of coming of age with science fiction with fantasy and rounded out by a touch of romance. Andrea wants to become a knight. As the fourth daughter she has no claim to the throne and wants nothing to do with being a lady. Her parents refuse her request and so she sets off on her own adventure. Wild and high spirited, Andrea finds herself leaving her world and entering California. She learns that nothing is what she thought it was. Upon returning home, she inadvertently starts a war which she has to work to stop. What I liked best was that Andrea had a fairly immature view of the world and it surprised her as she matured. I loved her confusion and the fact that she was unsure of herself, even right up to the end. She was real and insecure. There were some language issues but I only noticed them early on, the story completely sucked me in. I was uncertain of everyone’s motivation and, while I guessed who would be her love interest, I was still surprised by each turn of events. I would love to read more and see where her next adventure takes her.

Alienation by Jon Lewis

To start with, I got this as an e-ARC so I wasn’t able to tell whether this was the first book of the series. Part way through the book, I looked it up to find it was the second book. There were some things that felt awkward reading this out of order but for the most part I was able to connect to the characters and follow the plot of the book. This wasn’t a favorite of mine but that’s not the books fault. I’m not real big on military action sort of stories. This is a book about aliens but it’s more about the young men who have been enlisted into a special military organization to combat the aliens. For those who likes those sorts of stories, this one is for you. There was too much detail in the weaponry for my taste. I don’t care how many different types of assault rifles and the numbers that are associated with them. For me, the book had too much of that. It pulled me out of the story. And there was a lot of it. There’s amazing technology in this book for those who like it. There’s realistic holographs for training (and if you get hurt in the holograph room, you really get hurt), robots for training and as servants, and hoverboards. It’s a thrilling young adult novel perfect for those who love military and espionage. In this story, Colt is heading off to CHAOS training. (I can’t remember what the acronym stands for but it’s something like covert – alien - something.) While trying to get there he discovers someone is trying to kill him. The head of CHAOS has ordered the murder of several government officials and it appears that he wants to get rid of Colt too. Colt is the grandson of the great CHAOS legend Phantom Rider. He’s left not sure of who to trust especially since his best friend is the son of the CHAOS leader. It did keep me guessing and I have to say I didn’t see the twist that came. I enjoyed the action and all the alien descriptions. This was similar in tone to comic books in the 40’s and 50’s – Captain America and the like. I think it makes for a great read for young men who love all that sort of stuff.

Abe Sapien Volume 2 by Mike Mignola

One of the things I love about BPRD character books, includes Hellboy and Abe Sapien, is that they are collections of short stories not a continuing story. That means I can pick them up as I find them and enjoy them. There are some characters that come and go but overall I can easily figure out who everyone is what they are doing. Much of that knowledge comes from the Hellboy movies – I’m not ashamed, I love Hellboy. I would beg them to make more and would even love Hellboy spin offs. I’m not picky. I loved this collection. Just three short tales starring Abe Sapien. I was slightly disappointed that he wasn’t more dynamic in these. He could kick butt but I wanted the more intellectual Abe. I think he’s a good counterweight to the brute of Hellboy. Maybe I miss their balance but that didn’t take away my enjoyment of these stories. Not too bad for a younger audience but a bit on the violent side. The violence was always directed towards monsters but for a young’in that might be too much. These are great for middle grade boys to read and should suck them right in and have them begging for more. This volume has ghosts, zombies, ships and an appearance by Hellboy.

Taking the Lead by Stephanie Perry Moore

There were things I really liked about this book. It’s interactive with word searches after each chapter and lesson plans at the end. The story has promise – young Alec has just been elected 5th grade class president. He’s got a lot of good things coming his way. On the downside, his father is the school principal and his parents fight constantly. There are some good themes that go through this book. It does have a fair amount of Christian values such as allowing God to lead. With Alec as class president he has to learn what makes a good leader. However, I didn’t like the flow or the language of the book. It’s set in Georgia so maybe the problem is regional or even cultural. I think boys in that age group might feel differently but I don’t see this book becoming a classic. I do think it makes a great homeschooling book and as it comes in a series could be a good addition to curriculum.

BPRD Hell On Earth Volume 2 by Mike Mignola

Ack – what a ride. Hell on Earth is an accurate description of this apocalyptic story from BPRD. I was slightly off kilter not having read volume 1 but this volume let me catch up and enjoy the story. I can’t wait for volume 3. Looks like I’m going to have to do some serious graphic novel shopping. So many good tales lately. This one focused on Abe and Liz. Abe is hunting a teenager who seems to be one step ahead of the disasters while Liz is in hiding and discovers no matter how much you try to stay away, it will always find you. I like Liz but I wish she was a more sure character. If you are a Hellboy or BPRD fan – this is a great story line. It’s filled with possessed humans, huge monsters and a secret race that may prove powerful enough to destroy the world.

Mr Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater

Having read so many juvenile and children’s books lately this was a real treat. Not only has Mr Popper’s Penguins been on my to read list but it comes highly recommended on many reading lists. Published in 1938, Mr Popper’s Penguins is a children’s classic. Last year it was made into a movie (I haven’t seen it yet and was waiting until after I read the book) and in turn was re-released as a book with a short biography of the writers at the end. The thing I noticed first about Mr Popper’s Penguins is the language. I know it’s a classic and the story is delightful but I think I’ve been kind of ruined for children’s fiction. There is such an expectation nowadays to have tighter more descriptive language. We want each word to have meaning so we don’t feel like we are wasting our time. Good stories are lost in a sea of expectations for language. It was actually a relief to read something that was just a good story. The story is horribly silly and that’s great. There’s no evil to be conquered and everything works out fine. There is a small moment when the group arrives at the wrong theatre but even then it’s all in good fun. I miss that. I miss just enjoying the ride. For those not familiar with the story – Mr Popper receives a penguin in the mail from a famous explorer in Antarctica. He and his wife make a home for the penguin in their refrigerator (with help from their two children). Soon, Captain Cook (as the penguin is named) becomes ill. Fearful that there is something terribly wrong with him, Mr Popper writes to a zoologist who in return sends him Greta, a penguin with a similar problem. Over the winter, Greta and Captain Cook become parents to 10 babies. In true fancy, they become performing penguins and everyone goes on the road. This is a great adventure for all. The book is simple enough for a young reader to understand. Middle grade and older students might find there is not enough action in the book but I still recommend encouraging them to try to read this book. It’s from a different time when kids weren’t force feed stimulation all day long. It reminds the reader that not everything has to be action oriented and sometimes a good story is just a good story.