Esio Trot

Dahl, Ronald. Esio Trot. New York : Viking, 1990.

Plot: Old, retired Mr. Hoppy loves two things: his flower-covered patio and his neighbor, Mrs. Silver. The widow remains ignorant of his affection, though she does love her pet tortoise, Alfie. Unfortunately, Alfie does not seem to grow, much to his mistress's distress. Realizing his chance to gain her affections and become her hero, Mr. Hoppy offers her a foolproof plan to make Alfie grow quickly. He gives her some words to encourage Alfie to increase in size, but, unbeknownst to her, continues his plot with the help of a tortoise-grabber, a canvas sheet, and one hundred forty tortoises.

Genre: Animals, Humor, Unexpected Heroes

Reading Level: Grades 4-7

Similar Titles: Miss Daisy is Crazy!, The Invisible Moose, The BFG

Personal Thoughts: A somewhat unusual novel for Dahl, the story examines a man's quest to become a hero in his beloved's eyes. Like many of Dahl's protagonists, though, Mr. Hoppy can only succeed through the use of his wits and his kindly nature. The story is simple, sweet, and cleverly written, providing an excellent light read.

How To Train Your Dragon

How To Train Your Dragon. Glendale, CA : DreamWorks Home Entertainment, 2010.

Plot: Hiccup is not much of a Viking. His body is scrawny, his personality is contrary, and his actions are disastrous. Still, he is determined to live up to his father's expectations and kill a dragon. However, when he successfully downs a nightfury, perhaps the most dangerous dragon of all, he suddenly finds himself unable to harm it. Naming the crippled dragon "Toothless," he sets out to train it, while slowly learning the truth of the reptiles' actions. Yet, his lessons seem for naught after he fails to kill a dragon in front of the village. Hiccup and Toothless may never be the pair any Viking would expect, but they may be the duo the village really needs.

Genre: Animation

Reading Level: Rated PG

Similar Titles: Despicable Me, Toy Story 3

Personal Thoughts: I have mixed opinions about the movie. The plot is not especially original and the adults and kids seem locked into impenetrable archetypes. The graphics, particularly in the village and flying scenes, are nice. Also, the designs, particularly of the dragons and armor, show character and creativity. Additionally, the movements of the dragons remain believable. If users want a new story, recommend another title. If they wish to enjoy a movie with good graphics and creative design, offer this animation.

P.S. Dreamworks dragon approves, +5

Series of Unfortunate Events: The End

Snicket, Lemony. Series of Unfortunate Events: The End. New York: Harper Collins Publishers: 2006.

Plot: After marooning on an island with their nemesis, Count Olaf, the Baudelaire orphans find themselves welcomed into the island's society. While the islanders' refusal to accept or assist Olaf relieves the orphans, the strange customs of the island gradually cause them to rebel. Their rebellion results in their abandonment with the count and, unexpectedly, a very pregnant Kit Snicket. When the Baudelaires' seek weapons for a planned mutany, they are shocked to discover the history of their own parents on the island. The children must make their own decisions, which become increasingly complicated when a certain count releases the deadly spores of the Medusoid Mycelium.

Genre: Non-Fiction

Reading Level: Ages 9-12

Similar Titles: Series of Unfortunate Events

Personal Thoughts: Apparently, a lot of fans were disappointed by the novel. Many claim Snicket uses the subplots of the book as a cop-out and lament the poor ending to the series. I actually thought it finished the series very well. To paraphrase a much better writer than myself, "an ending should be unexpected and inevitable," and the novel manages to produce such an end to the series. The children discover the truth behind their parents' history. Count Olaf is defeated, but in a sympathetic manner. The poor choices of the children have real consequences, but their good decisions allow them to survive. Not all the subplots end happily or completely, yet they do reach an unexpected and inevitable point. The book also explains who the "Beatrice" described at the beginning of each novel is.

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

O'Brien, Robert C. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIHM. : New York, Atheneum, 1971.

Plot: Mrs. Jonathan Frisby, a recently widowed mouse, must move quickly. The winter frost is gone and the farmer will soon plow the garden where she and her four children live. However, her youngest child, Timmy, falls ill. If she tries to move him to a safer location, the chill could kill him. Following the advice of Jeremy, a crow, she seeks the help of the Great Owl. He tells her to ask the rats, since the reputation of her husband will make them amiable. At the rat colony, she discovers Jonathan and the rats escaped from NIMH, a laboratory. As a result of the lab's experiments, the rats are intelligent, capable of using electricity, reading, and building tools. Frustrated by their life of theft, the rats plan to move to Thorn Valley and create their own civilization. Due to her husband's contributions to the plan, the rats agree to move the mouse's house. Yet, in the process, Mrs. Frisby discovers NIMH is not finished with the rats just yet.

Genre: Animals, Science Fiction

Reading Level: Ages 9-12

Similar Titles: Matilda, Charlotte's Web, Trumpet of the Swan

Personal Thoughts: I consider this to be a science fiction novel due to the explanation for the rat's intelligence. They do not naturally know how to read or use electricity. Instead, they develop it through scientific experimentation and personal curiosity. Surprisingly, the author does not focus on the issue of animal testing. Instead, he focuses on the responsibility of the rats. They no longer exist as simple rats, nor do they have the desire to. They are too smart. Yet, they also realize using human resources makes them lazy. If they want to maintain their civilized nature, they need to exercise their own independence. People must resist the urge to become complacent, as well. Without working for better, more responsible lifestyles, people become stagnant. Perhaps the novel remains popular because of its cautionary nature. Readers realize they must continue to grow, even at the risk of inconvenience, or stifle and loose the ability to adapt.

The title provided the basis for a movie in 1982. It continues to enjoy critical and commercial acclaim. 

Side note: has anyone else noticed that talking animal books always, ALWAYS include mice at some point? I am not complaining, I just find it strange.

Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning

Snicket, Lemony. Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning. New York : Harper Collins Children's Books, 1999.

Plot: The Baudelaire children enjoy a happy life until their parents are, tragically, killed in a fire. The children will have access to the family fortune once Violet, the eldest, comes of age, much to the delight and frustration of Count Olaf, their new guardian. The count treats them cruelly, offering them little food, many chores, and no affection. Then, he abruptly starts to treat them better, especially Violet. He even allows them to participate in a play produced by his vile-looking theater group. However, Klaus, Violet's only brother, becomes suspicious of the marriage scene in the play, especially after he reviews a book on nuptial law.

Genre: Fiction

Reading Level: Ages 9-12

Similar Titles: Other titles in A Series of Unfortunate Events

Personal Thoughts: To be honest, I dreaded reading this book. I heard too many complaints about how dark and depressing the series was. Yet, after I read it, I liked it. I think the reason so many readers protest against the titles comes from the lack of a clear "happily ever after" at the end. However, the lack of a happy ending allows the story to gather interest and continue. Readers want to know what happens. They want to find out if the unfortunate events are all that await the protagonists. They want to know if they do get a happy ending. Even if they cheat and look at the synopsis of the last book in Wikipedia (why are you looking at me?) they still want to read the books and confirm, with their own eyes, what will happen to the kids. I do not have the time right now to read the entire series, but I will read the last book in the series and offer my review next week. BECAUSE I HAVE TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS!!!

In 2004, Nickelodeon Movies produced a film based on this series. It got mediocre to good reviews.

Freak the Mighty

Philbrick, Rodman. Freak the Mighty. New York, N.Y. : Blue Sky Press, 1993.

Plot: Max is a big, slow, clumsy outcast. Kevin is a small, smart, crippled outcast. Yet, when they get together, they become more. They become Freak the Mighty, destroyer of dragons, bane of gangs, returner of purses, and swimmer of nasty mill ponds. The story follows the two misfits as they take on summer and, eventually, the school year. Ghosts from Max's family history threaten him, but with the help of Kevin, he escapes his homocidal father and confronts the death of his mother. Yet, when Kevin becomes increasingly weak and awaits a new biotic body being developed at a local hospital, Max begins to worry...

Reading Level: Ages 9-12

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Similar Titles: Max the Mighty, Holes

Personal Thoughts: Another funny but sad book. The interactions between Max, Kevin, and the world at large are both humorous and believable. As a kid, I really enjoyed the book. Strangely, as an adult, the sadness in the book seems more powerful. It is strange. Adults (including myself, much to my frustration) often fear exposing children, teens, and tweens to sad or disturbing concepts, yet they often seem to cope with the issues better than "grown-ups" do. Not that I'm going to ask a kid to read something like Le Miserables or anything. I'm just surprised by their resilience.

The book was the inspiration for the movie, The Mighty. Even though the film bombed, it received high reviews.

The Tale of Despereaux

DiCamillo, Kate. The Tale of Desperaux. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press, 2006.

Plot: A little mouse with open eyes and huge ears is born to a family of mice living in a castle. While his family believes he represents the worst example of mousedom, he seems strangely content. However, when he commits the unforgivable sin of consorting with humans, particularly a princess known as Pea, he his condemned to death. As he is lead to the dungeon, he steps into a larger story. Pea's mother died six months earlier when a rat fell into her soup. The rat, known Chiaroscuro, becomes warped by the tragedy and vows revenge. His plans seem destined for success when an abused and gullible servant known as Mig expresses her longing to take the place of the princess. Despereaux must face his fears, his sorrows, his darkness, and his hate to save Pea.

Genre: Animals, Fantasy

Reading Level: Ages 9-12

Similar Titles: Because of Winn-Dixie, Charlotte's Web

Personal Thoughts: I was really surprised by how much I liked this book, particularly in light of its dark nature. People are abused, forgotten, ignored, and hated in the novel. Yet, I actually liked it more than Because of Winn-Dixie, another title by DiCamillo noted for its lighter subjects. I think I like the book more because it taps on a very unpopular but very necessary subject: forgiveness. Despereaux and Pea can only survive unscathed if they forgive the people (or rodents) that hurt them. The offenders cannot do anything to earn the forgiveness. Yet, if they could, would they need to be forgiven? However, refusing to forgive the terrible wrongs will only warp the hero and heroine. Forgiving may be hard, but it is the only way to really survive.

I think that truth is the one that struck me the most, since most books do not mention it. Forgiveness does not make as good a story as a quest for revenge. Yet, like the mouse and the princess, I need the capacity to forgive. To look past the flaws and see the hurt, warped, broken person behind the action. In many ways, this conclusion is revolutionary. No group agrees universally with a revolution, but it still comes when things need to change.

As a side note, the book provided the basis for a movie in 2008. It did not do well.

The Witches

Dahl, Roald. The Witches. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1983.

Plot: Dahl's nameless protagonist learns about witches from his former witchophile grandmother in Norway shortly after he becomes orphaned in a car accident. Thanks to his grandmother's warnings, he avoids the plot of a witch roaming his street during the school year. He is not as lucky, however, at avoiding danger in his next encounter. He finds himself at an annual meeting of witches and overhears their plot to turn all of England's children into mice. Before he can warn anyone about the plan, he is caught and turned into a mouse. With his grandmother's knowledge and his newfound agility, the witches' plot must be stopped!

Genre: Fiction, Horror

Reading Level: Ages 9-12

Similar Titles: James and the Giant Peach, Fantastic Mr. Fox

Personal Thoughts: Wow, this book received varied responses. ALA reports it as a frequently banned book due to its reference to the occult, sexism (it states all witches are women), and wicca. Reportedly, Dahl responded to such critics by stating they had no sense of humor. It is unknown how the critics reacted to the accusation. By contrast, the books enjoyed a prominent spot in the Weekly Reader 150 bestselling children's booklist. Some schools use it as required reading. In addition, the book provided the basis for a movie that won several awards in 1990. I saw the movie when I was a kid, though, and to be honest, I was not impressed. The acting was weird, the special effects were campy, the music was unremarkable, and all the actors were creepy. Not just the villains. The protagonists looked like they were going to eat someone before the movie was over, too. To each their own, I guess.

Matilda

Dahl, Roald. Matilda. New York: Viking, 1988.

Plot: Matilda is extraordinary. At five and a half years old, she can read novels and multiply double-digit numbers. However, her parents think she is stupid, and they take every opportunity they can to tell her so. She eventually decides to discipline her parents through a series of pranks. The efforts seem rewarded, but they do not prepare her for Miss Tunchbull, her school headmistress. Unlike Miss Honey, Matilda's kindly teacher, the headmistress demands fearful submission through threats and violence. Faced with an injustice almost beyond her imagination, Matilda realizes she must use one of her unusual gifts to bring down Miss Tunchbull.

Genere: Fiction

Reading Level: Ages 9-12

Similar Titles: James and the Giant Peach, Fantastic Mr. Fox,  The Twits

Personal Thoughts: While the context is, perhaps, unusual, the novel follows some of Dahl's favorite themes. An unlikely hero manages to overpower strong opponents to bring justice. Apparently, the novel was banned by several libraries, presumably for its reference to psychic power. It also became a basis for a movie in 1996. The film differs greatly from the novel and received mediocre reviews. However, some favor the movie, so it has become a minor cult classic.

Holes

Sachar, Louis. Holes. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1998.

Plot: Stanley, like his father, grand father, and great-grandfather always manage to be in exactly the wrong place at exactly the wrong time. After he is accused of stealing, he finds himself at Camp Green Lake, a juvenile detention facility devoid of water. The warden and councilors are sadistic and the other boys are not much better. He blames his luck on the curse brought by his great-great-grandfather's theft of a pig. Yet, despite his misfortune, he finds someone with less luck than himself. Much to surprise (and secret) of them both, they contain the means of breaking the curses on Stanley and Green Lake itself.

Reading Level: 9-12 years

Genre: Fiction, Adventure, Survival

Similar Titles: Maniac Magee

Personal Thoughts: The book won a Newbury Award and National Book Award. It deserves them. Billy is a believable boy in unbelievable circumstances. He suffers from bullies, people who do not understand him, and people who do not want to understand him. Yet, he still wants to be a good kid.
My favorite aspect of the book comes from the "set-up." Billy and his companions do not suffer at random. Their situations arise as the results of the actions of their ancestors. It inspires thought on why things are the way they are in a humorous way.

Smith of Wooton Major/Farmer Giles of Ham

Tolkien, J.R.R. Smith of Wooton Major/Farmer Giles of Ham. New York : Ballantine Books, 1949.

Plot: A two-story book. The first story describes the adventures of a young man in the town of Wooton Major. He unknowingly becomes the heir to a remarkable passport to the land of fairies. Unlike the pixies of today, the fairies contain great power, but subtle gifts. The second story is the saga of an unlikely hero. When a farmer manages to drive off a giant, he becomes a local celebrity. However, the hero status has unexpected demands, especially when a dragon shows up.

Genre: Fantasy, Fiction

Reading Level: 11 years and older

Similar Titles: The Hobbit, Chronicles of Narnia, The Last Unicorn, The Reluctant Dragon

Personal Thoughts: The stories are a "lite" version of Tolkien. Even though they are less involved, they still contain Tolkien's solid storytelling abilities. The first story bears a surreal, bigger-than-life setting of the average moving alongside the extraordinary. By contrast, Farmer Giles of Ham reveals a popular unexpected-hero vs. cowardly villains saga. Overall, they provide a heavier read than a fairy tale, but a lighter story than most fantasy novels.