Fourth Quarter Book Review

What the Dickens by Gregory Maguire. Candlewick Press, 2007. Fiction/Fantasy

“Fourth Quarter Outside Reading Book Review”

Gregory Maguire is not only an author, but a middle school English teacher. He gave his students an assignment to write about a meeting between an extraordinary creature and a normal human. The result of his own writing example developed into What the Dickens,
a story within a story. It is about three children stranded in a huge storm, who are entertained by a story told to them by their older cousin. The story provides distraction and a lesson, as the kids hear about a mysterious creature known as a skibbereen, one of many such beings who become a tooth fairy.

The New York Times Book Review says about What the Dickens that “Gregory Maguire does for the dark and stormy night what he did for witches in Wicked.”

Wicked, now famous as a Broadway play, also began as a novel with an original point-of-view. The classic Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum was rewritten from the Wicked Witch of the West’s perspective. In What the Dickens the reader is treated to a new understanding of how tooth fairies may come to be as the adventurous story gradually unfolds. What the Dickens is the name of the title character, an innocent creature trying to find his identity. He is born not knowing his name or purpose, and seeks other skibereen like himself. He does find companionship, society, and meaning in his world.

The author uses the storytelling and the characters to look at how imagination affects human and creature development. The real children have grown up in a sheltered environment, and have been homeschooled. They have been taught that they must “govern themselves against imagination”. Yet they are told to believe and follow Bible stories. Gage, the babysitting cousin, points out that “the existence of stories is real”, and that through “accidents and acts of the imagination” is “how we make ourselves and how we are made.” The story ends with the understanding that story, prayer, and magic are all correct, and all exist for the betterment of the world.

“Have I got this right? wondered What –the-Dickens. The possibility of wishing strengthens the imagination to consider, at times, that things could improve. Could be different. They could. They might.”(303)

I liked the thought that imagination is a possibility, a form of hope, and that being open to creativity opens your world. I was also amused that Cousin Gage was an English teacher, and Maguire’s own love of English was obvious. There were references within the story of at least seven other famous books, and the skibbereens kept repeating that “math was a myth.” The book jumped back and forth between the “actual” story of the kids being stranded and the “pretend” story that was being told to distract them from their predicament, but the message of imagination and creativity applied to both situations.

I also enjoyed the story for its language. “He sneezed, issuing a little crumpled fold of a sound.” (39) The writing had an almost fairy-tale feel to it, crossed with a late night ghost story. It was creepy at times, showed a great sense of humor and really made me think. I also appreciated that it was unique, unlike anything I’ve read before. It made me want to blow out a birthday candle, make a wish, and see what could come true.

Third Quarter Book Review

Redwall is the first novel in an adventurous fantasy series by Brian Jacques. Set in Mossflower Wood in medieval times, this tale revolves around the peaceful mice of Redwall Abbey, who are unexpectedly attacked by a horde of horrible rats led by fearsome Cluny the Scourge. A courageous mouse named Matthias takes up the lost sword of Martin the Warrior and leads the fight against the enemy in an effort to win peace once more for the citizens of the Abbey.

Locus calls Redwall an “old-fashioned swashbuckling adventure”, while Booklist describes it as “Provocative and enticing. From start to finish, readers and listeners will cheer the dwellers of Redwall.”

Although the characters are animals in a woodland, the book is not simplistic or cartoonish. The plot is complex and the characters are believable, thanks to the many detailed descriptions that the author uses. The reader is caught by the very first sentence. “Matthias cut a comical little figure as he wobbled his way along the cloisters, with his large sandals flip-flopping and his tail peeping from beneath the baggy folds of an oversized novice’s habit.” (3) The sophisticated language and choice in details allow the author to create a whole new world, one with a unique hero and memorable villain.

Perhaps the reason Mr. Jacques excels at unusual details and building adventure is because he has led a very adventurous life himself. He was at different times a comedian, a sailor, a longshoreman, and a radio host. Through his gift of storytelling the characters change and grow. A humble mouse becomes a legend, and a powerful foe comes to an undignified, but much deserved end. Even the secondary characters like Mortimer the Abbot and Old Methuseleh are easy to imagine.

Likewise the action is dramatic and fast-moving, keeping the reader’s interest. It is easy to envision the society that the author has created. The author uses repetition to build suspense. “Cluny is coming,” he ends the first few chapters, so that the villain’s entrance has really been anticipated.

“Standing boldly on the backboard of the hay cart was the biggest, fiercest, most evil-looking rat that had ever slunk out of a nightmare! In one claw he grasped a long pole with a ferret’s head spiked to it, while in the other was his thick, enormous tail, which he cracked like a whip.” (19)

I was surprised by Redwall, as I did not believe that a story about mice could appeal to anyone over age 10. Yet this book was a really entertaining adventure with an interesting storyline and characters that I will remember. I have not read any other books by Mr. Jacques, but I do plan to look into the next few books in the series.

Second Quarter Book Review

Chuck Liddell is a tiger with an attitude like no other. Since an early age, Chuck was put into violent situations where he found himself extremely upper handed. Chuck had a natural flair for fighting, because he always strived to better himself, a fight was a challenge that he was always able to rise up to meet. This is a real interesting book that is motivating and helps to understand the mentality of MMA (mixed martial arts) fighters. Much of the book is about battling conflicts within your life. One of the greatest things in the book is that it tells you to listen to your mother and stay true to your family. It really teaches you values about how you don’t need to live in the greatest town ever, to be a star.
“What’s not to love about Chuck Liddell? He has transcended the sport to become a cultural icon. He is the guy for most guys, a real-life hero in a world of spoiled, whiny poseurs, Arnold without the script." – ESPN THE MAGAZINE
This book to me was a very different experience because it was the first time that I have actually read an autobiography. I know that that sounds a little preposterous and silly but it’s true. The way that he phrased his sentences and his word usage really makes you want to bow down to him. He uses imagery to make him seem like a god in the eyes to his opponents. To the reader I’m sure that he can have the same affect. Chuck does a good job putting fear into the minds of his opposing team, this is mental toughness. He talks about mental toughness, and how you need it to get by in harsh sports such as MMA. Chuck Liddell, sporting a short cut Mohawk, standing 6 feet and 2 inches, and having a tattoo etched into the side of his head, is big into mind games.
I have read biographies before, but the ideas and tone of the book is so different because of the way that he puts himself out there. Instead of having someone else judge him, he judges himself.
“When I walk out of the tunnel, I can see the lights, hear the music, feel the crowd, but it all begins to close off as I near the cage. By that point I’m thinking, I’ve been training hard, it’s time to focus….everyman is born with a fight-or-flight instinct, and mine is to fight. It always has been.” – Chuck Liddell
This book has really shown me how hard people work to become champ. I really liked it because it was all about Chuck Liddell… and he is the man! (That also explains how I feel about the author)

First Quarter Book Review

After the Second Civil War, Connor, Risa, and Lev are on a quest to save their own lives from being unwound. In Cincinnati Ohio, where every person is an obstacle, the challenge to stay unnoticed can be quite difficult when everyone’s out to find you. Unwinds aren’t wanted in society, and are only needed for their body parts. To stay alive until your eighteenth birthday is a challenge, a dream, and a distant hope for these teens.
On the back of my book, there aren’t any quotes so it is hard for me to express the way that people feel about the book. I’m sure that people love it as much as I did.
This book had an unusual writing style in the sense that ever chapter changed names of who the chapter involved. The book itself is written in third-person omniscient. This phrase means that the narrator of the book knows everyone’s thoughts to contribute to the story line. Using third-person omniscient is a smart idea for this book because there are so many details; it would be hard to read every person’s thoughts and expressions without it. Neal has a way of writing about objects and ideas before he explains them fully. In the beginning of the book, he provides you with just the bare minimum of information for you to understand the basic plot.
This book is really not like any that I have read before, it is unique to me. Although I don’t read the most ever, I have read enough to know that this book truly sticks out from the others in creativity.
“The mother is nineteen, but she doesn’t feel that old. She feels no wiser, no more capable of dealing with this situation, than a little girl. When, she wonders, did she stop being a little child? The law says it was when she turned eighteen, but the law doesn’t know her.” – PG 53
This book has inspired me to think out of the box in many areas and aspects in my life. The ideas that this book puts forward really makes one think about life and how you should value what you have. This author’s captivating ideas, dialog, and descriptive diction captured my attention and made me a fan after the first chapter. Neal Shusterman has changed my perspective on certain values that I had and my standards for a good book have just raised a couple ranks thanks to him.

Project- Myspaces for certain characters:

http://myspace.com/levunwind
http://myspace.com/connorunwind
http://myspace.com/risaunwind