Thistle and Thyme: Tales and Legends from Scotland

...sounds like the beginning of a strange and yummy recipe

Leodhas, Sorche Nic. Thistle and Thyme: Tales and Legends from Scotland. Holt, Rinehart and Winston : New York, 1962.

Plot: A collection of folk and fairy tales from Scotland, the title offers a slightly different view of the British Isles. Faire folk and sorcerers threaten the local population, but unexpected and reliable heroes arise to counter them. Sometimes, though, the best solution stems from an unlikely source.

Genre: Folktales

Reading Level: Grades 4-9

Similar Titles: Mythical Birds and Beasts from Many Lands, A Child's Book of Fairies

Personal Thoughts: The title earned a Newbery Honor.

I really enjoyed this book's old-time stories with slightly dated phrasing. Also, I noticed a shift in fairy tales over the past few decades. In the text, pirates, fairies, and wilderness were viewed as dangerous, while elders, civilization, and clergy were considered good. While the shift between the past and current ideals has several valid and not-so-valid reasons, it still was a striking to read the difference.

Dragonbreath: Curse of the Were-Wiener

 A blurry photograph of the rare literary mosasaur

Vernon, Ursula. Dragonbreath: Curse of the Were-Wiener. S.l. : Dial Books, 2010.

Plot: Shortly after his adventures under the sea and in fantasy Japan, Danny Dragonbreath discovers adventures at home. Wendell, his best friend, gets bitten by Danny's lunch, which in itself is not surprising (the potato salad bit the school bully a few months before). However, Wendell starts experiencing hair growth, which is odd for an iguana. Other reptiles at the school begin to grow hair as well. The lunch was tainted by a were-wiener, which will soon transform all affected students into its evil minions. Danny and Wendell must find and stop the alpha-wiener before the entire school is transformed.

Genre: Fantasy

Reading Level: Grades 4-9

Similar Titles: Ricky Ricotta's Giant Robot, The Celery Stalks at Midnight

Personal Thoughts: Unlike the previous Dragonbreath book I read, this title focuses more on myth and urban legends rather than biology. Still, the title offers a quick, quirky story told by a combination of images and text.

Nurk: The Strange, Surprising Adventues of a (Somewhat) Brave Shrew

 Sail on the Snailboat!

Vernon, Ursula. Nurk: The Strange, Surprising Adventures of a (Somewhat) Brave Shrew. Orlando : Harcourt, 2008.

Plot: Nurk, a young, recently orphaned shrew, accidentally opens a letter intended for his grandmother, a powerful fighter. After reading about her adventures, though, he decides to answer the request for help. Armed with his trusty Snailboat, sandwiches, and clean socks, Nurk seeks the sender of the letter. He eventually finds her clinging to a dead log. She needs help retrieving her brother, the Prince of the Dragonflies. Nurk must overcome doubts, fears, and giant caterpillars to rescue the prince and finish his adventures.

Genre: Animals, Fantasy, Adventure

Reading Level: Grades 3-6

Similar Titles: Whales on Stilts!, The End of the Beginning: Being the Adventures of a Small Snail (and an Even Smaller Ant)

Personal Thoughts: In some ways, Nurk reminds me of Coraline. Both are surprisingly funny, down-to-earth, and stuck in supernatural circumstances which they acknowledge ludicrously. However, while Coraline's adventures are disturbing and ominous, Nurk approaches his dangers with a dry sense of humor and honest assessment of his predicaments. As a result, the text contains a sympathetic, funny, but not terrifying adventure.

Dragonbreath

A dragon plush reading a dragon book

Vernon, Ursula. Dragonbreath. New York : Dial Books, 2009.

Plot: Danny Dragonbreath, the only dragon in a school for reptiles and amphibians, often dreams of adventures. Then he fulfills them. In the first of the series, Danny needs to finish a research project about the ocean. Rather than go to the library, takes his friend, Wendell the iguana, to the Sargasso Sea to visit his cousin, Edward the sea serpent. Edward cheerfully shows them a coral reef and a shipwreck. Unfortunately, they are not as prepared for the deep ocean as they think they are, particularly when the giant squid shows up.

Genre: Science, Fantasy, Adventure, Animals

Reading Level: Grades 4-9

Similar Titles: Nate the Great, The Invention of Hugo Cabret: A Novel in Words and Pictures

Personal Thoughts: Much like Nate the Great and Diary of a Wimpy Kid, the book combines comics and text to tell a story. Dragonbreath manages to stand out through its fantastic setting, real-world logic, and quirky humor. 

Pure Grit: How American World War II Nurses Survived Batte and Prison Camp in the Pacific

Thank you...

Farrell, Mary Conk. Pure Grit: How American World War II Nurses Survived Battle and Prison Camp in the Pacific. New York : Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2014.

Plot: During World War II, thousands of soldiers were injured, killed, and captured. So were their nurses. The caretakers never experienced training for combat situations, but they quickly rose to the demands of the position. Unfortunately, the position in the Pacific was especially horrific. The Philippines saw the capture of over one hundred nurses. The text documents the nurses' fight to support their troops while fighting racism, disease, and starvation in the Japanese prison camps.

Genre: History

Reading Level: Grades 7-9. Please be aware several intense subjects, including rape, death, wartime captivity, and disease are discussed, so warn sensitive readers.

Similar Titles:  Bomb: the Race to Build - and Steal - the World's Most Dangerous Weapon, Left for Dead: A Young Man's Search for Justice for the USS Indianapolis

Personal Thoughts: Many books on war parrot the "war is bad" slogan, but this text brings a new aspect of battle to light. Soldiers are not the only victims. Nurses, doctors, laborers, and undertakers were treated as badly, if not worse than, their fighting counterparts. Even after the war, many suffered due to diseases and trauma for the rest of their lives. War is not good, but texts like these remind readers why.

Hero Dogs: Courageous Canines in Action

 Hero dogs, lazy mosasaur

Jackson, Donna M. Hero Dogs: Courageous Canines in Action. New York : Little, Brown, 2003.

Plot: For centuries, dogs have worked with people in daily life. However, the animals help during emergencies. The title follows several canines and their trainers assisting with the aftermath of the Twin Tower disaster. Dogs assisted with rescue efforts, but they also helped people cope with the frustrations and loss within the rescue efforts. Special mention is given to the care and training the hounds receive, showing the effort involved with raising and maintaining such beasts.

The title ends with chapters of assistant dogs, which help people on a daily basis.

Genre: Animals, History

Reading Levels: Grades 4-9

Similar Titles: Animal Heroes, Horse Heroes

Personal Thoughts: The title goes into detail on how much work goes into training a hero dog, which is important. Not every dog has what it takes to work in rescue, assistance, or police situations. Most would, in fact, make horrible pets. A lot of effort goes into them, making what they do more exotic and special than many people may realize.

The title also describes the attacks on September 11th, which is especially important to this blog. As of this year, none of the intended audience of the titles reviewed in the blog were alive during. Yet, the aftermath of the Twin Towers affect the readers' daily lives. It is important for older readers to remember tweens do not know life before the events, and it is important for elders to explain why the attacks have the significance they do.