The more that you read, the more things you will know.
The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.
—Dr. Seuss

Friday, July 15, 2011

The Sisterhood


What began as a book about four high school girls and their incredible friendship becomes a heartwarming series about growing up, staying friends and lessons of life. Author Ann Brashares began with The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (published in 2001) and just recently completed the series with Sisterhood Everlasting (2011). The story begins with the four high school girls finding a soft, ordinary pair of thrift-shop jeans before they each head off on their own summer adventures. These close friends, all-different sizes and builds, not to mention backgrounds and personalities all fit into the pants. The pants settle on each girl's hips perfectly, making each girl feel confident as a teenager can feel. Because they fit each girl they must be “magical pants”. So they decide to make a pact to share them equally, to mail them back and forth over the summer from wherever they are. This is how the story begins and continues throughout the four books concluding in the fourth book, Forever in Blue (published in 2007).  What we learn in this first book is the connection that these girls have through their mothers who took a birthing class together. A very unique but not uncommon situation. And while the parents keep close ties the girls create something even more special, respect for each other. We follow the girls through high school and college, with each summer bringing new experiences, adventures, as well as new loves.
While Forever in Blue (published in 2009) was an ending to the series of the traveling pants, it wasn’t an ending in the author’s mind. Even though she concluded the story of the traveling pants she decided she wasn’t ready to end the story of these four loveable characters and thus created one last book ten years later. Ann Brashares rediscovers her four characters at the age of 29 to create a reunion of the sisterhood, Sisterhood Everlasting (2011). This last installment is extremely heart-warming and very moving. It is a powerful story of friendship, losing your way and then finding the courage to create a new one. Throughout all of her books, the author includes special quotes from famous people that open up each chapter. Each quote really does make the reader think and adds a nice touch to this already funny, perceptive, and moving series. (Recommended for grades 8 and up.)







Wednesday, July 13, 2011

The Ranger's Apprentice


The Ranger's Apprentice by John Flanagan is a fabulous series, 10 books in total. I can almost compare the excitement of this series to Harry Potter. Even though this isn't a new series, it has been out since 2006, it is a fabulous fantasy series for grades 4-8th. The stories have both captivating story lines and suspenseful adventures. This book is for boys and girls and can be even used in the classroom to encourage historical research projects during the times of knights and kings. The Ranger's Apprentice is about battles and about honor.

From School Library Journal for Book 1 - The Ruins of Gorlan
Will hopes to become a knight; instead, he winds up as a Ranger's apprentice, joining the secretive corps that uses stealth, woodcraft, and courage to protect the kingdom. His aptitude and bravery gradually earn the respect of his gruff but good-hearted master. When the kingdom is attacked by evil magic forces, Will helps track down and defeat a couple of particularly nasty beasts. This closing episode sets the stage for a good-versus-evil war that will likely be at the heart of future volumes. In this opener, though, most of the story focuses on the learning process that Will goes through as an apprentice. Descriptions of Ranger craft are fascinating. Exciting confrontations with bullies and wild boars help to establish the boy's emerging character. Side stories involving a rival Battleschool apprentice and the identity of Will's father are woven in smoothly. The author occasionally spells things out more than is needed when actions demonstrate them clearly enough. However, the well-paced plot moves effortlessly toward the climax, letting readers get to know the world and the characters gradually as excitement builds. The public adoration Will gains at the end seems slightly overdone given the established distrust people feel for Rangers, but it's still a pleasing finish and should leave readers eager to share the future adventures of the Ranger's apprentice.–Steven Engelfried, Beaverton City Library, OR

Book 1 - The Ruins of Gorlan
Book 2 - The Burning Bridge
Book 3 - The Icebound Land
Book 4 - The Battle for Skandia
Book 5 - The Sorcerer of the North
Book 6 - The Siege of Macindaw
Book 7 - Erak's Ransom
Book 8 - The Kings of Clonmel
Book 9 - Halt's Peril
Book 10 - The Emperor of Nihon-Ja