A truly wonderful book.What can a boy do when his grandfather has Alzheimer's and everyone else in his family wants him to go to a home? How can he convince his family that it's cruel?The Memory Cage is a stark depiction of war and loneliness. War is not about bravery and courage.Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori. Everyone knows that's  a lie.But what happens if no one wants to know the truth? What happens when people want to look away from the truth that is staring them in the face?Memories of sadness, grief and loss cannot be put in a box and hidden under the bed. If you try to do that, the repercussions will be violent.And that is what a young boy discovers - for himself and his grandfather. … [Read more...]

I was intrigued by the title; who wouldn't be?The World War has not yet begun, but anti-Jewish sentiments run high. I know nothing of this time.Street of Tall People is set in East London, about which, also, I know nothing.Yet, the story reached out to me.Awkwardness and friendship. Loyalty, trust and betrayal. Loneliness and the quest for someone who understands. Idealism and cynicism.Street of Tall People is one of those books that shows you that even in a cruel, heartless mob is someone who is not tied to you by blood or religion, but is still family. That person there is still part of your idealistic brotherhood, however cynical other people may be. … [Read more...]

Intrigued by the title of the series 'Before They Became Famous', I picked up Caroline Corby's  Pocahontas. Just to make things clear, I haven't watched the movie. In fact, I know nothing about the movie except the song "Colours of the Wind".The book I read was lovely.'Pocahontas' means 'curious, lively, inquisitive', and this was one of those historical novels in which the character came alive. Each character was real to me. There were no detailed explanations to teach me about the customs and livelihood, but there were enough clues to help me find my way, and that made the experience of the novel that much more exciting.A young girl, oscillating between disgrace and honour, is a character that is inspiring, to say the least. Pocahontas, before she became famous, seems to have been exactly like that, at least in Caroline Corby's imagination! … [Read more...]

An unusual book, No Such Thing as Dragons puzzled me. I think the promise that the book cover held (yes, I always judge a book by its cover) led me to expect more. I found that the characters had so much potential, and the plot could have been much more exciting, considering the lovely seed of the story.Since there is no such thing as dragons, the dragon-hunter knows that the best person to keep his secrets is a mute boy. The dragon-hunter has grand stories of courage and bravery, which he spreads from town to town as he goes through Christendom ridding the world of dragons. Sold for a purse of gold, the mute boy Ansel is told over and over again by his new master that there is not such thing as dragons. A town they go to has a different story to tell, though.Packed with surprises, No Such Thing as Dragons is a story that keeps you running at the same pace as the narrative. Yet, I am … [Read more...]

Neverland. I remember my father reading out bits and pieces of Peter Pan to me. And I remember having an enormous book, probably as big as I was myself, with beautiful pictures of Neverland, Wendy and dreadful Tinker Bell whom I disliked so much, even though she was so pretty.Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg took me straight back to that vision of Neverland. It helps that the book in my hands was one of those where I could have spent hours just looking at the pictures and smelling the pages. With its thick glossy paper, and several double pages of vivid, detailed pictures, the story came alive.Like so many tales from Disney, Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg was filled with emotions that are essentially, beautifully human. I enjoyed the tale of adventure and sacrifice. I got so absorbed in the story after a while that I finished the book and then turned back to look at the … [Read more...]

No other title do they know, The refrain is scarcely new - Tho the chances are their knowledge Came from a book review; They ask me if I’ve read it - I humbly whisper “No” (Thank God, again I’ve said it!) They clap their hands and glow.- From Louis L'Amour's "I Haven't Read Gone with the Wind"Unlike Mr L'Amour, I have read Gone with the Wind. Not once, but several times, I think.But when it comes to Charlotte's Web, the poem reaches out to me and makes me cry out, "Yes! Yes! Yes!" People who have read nothing else have asked me if I have read Charlotte's Web. And yes, once or twice, I have been pressured into saying that I have, deriving my opinion from 60 seconds of an animated movie I watched.Finally, though, I read it.It's a sweet book, there's no denying that. Yet, the overwhelming feeling of relief is much stronger than any other emotion I feel. An easy, comfortable read, … [Read more...]

If you watched and loved Captain Planet as a child, I know you will feel as warmly about Magnus Fin and the Moonlight Mission as I did. When I watched the heroism and drama of Captain Planet, I loved the idea of people getting together to save the world. This book feels something like that.The downside of the book is how it begins, though. When I started reading it, I found it rather painstaking. As I went on, though, I realised how much of a problem I experience with first chapters. Sometimes, however hard I work them, first chapters are not perfect. I may edit, rewrite and edit again, but still not feel happy. I may force myself to be satisfied, but somehow, the punch is lacking. Magnus Fin and the Moonlight Mission waslike that. The beginning was dull. I wondered if I would finish it. Then, just two chapters later, I felt the characters grow on me. I felt the story become close to … [Read more...]

I never stay up reading. I love books and I enjoy reading, but staying up beyond my bed-time? No, that's not me. I remember when I was reading the fifth Harry Potter, I had one chapter left to finish and I went to sleep, to the horror of some of my friends. Maybe that was because I wanted to hold on to my fictional friends a little longer.Esty's Gold forced me to stay up reading. I read page after page. Just one more chapter. And one more. This chapter was too short to count. So just one more. And I stopped when I finished the book.The characters grew and changed. The story was layered with unselfconscious girlish giggling and the singularly quirky humour. I experienced each of the class struggles and felt the starkness of life in Ireland and Australia.It is difficult to create a character like Esty. In some ways, she is a shadow of Scarlett from Gone with the Wind. Yet, she is … [Read more...]