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| Author: | Marianne Wiggins |
| Reading Level (Conceptual): | For grown-ups |
| Reading Level (Vocabulary): | For grown-ups |
| Genre: | fiction |
| Year of publication: | 1999 |
Intense story about how ordinary people cope (or fail to cope) with witnessing horrors, both natural and man-made. -- Emily Berk | |
If you found this review helpful and/or interesting, consider supporting our book habit: Buy this book!: Almost Heaven | |
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| Branwen: | I have no idea what your powers might be, my son. I only know that God didn’t give them to you without expecting you to use them. … | |
| Emrys: | But I didn’t ask for powers! | |
| Branwen: | Nor did I. … But with every gift comes the risk that others may not understand it. … | |
| Emrys: | Don’t you sometimes wish … [t]hat you didn’t have your gifts? That you weren’t so different? … | |
| Branwen: | Of course. | |
| — T.A. Baron, The Lost Years of Merlin |
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| Author: | Orson Scott Card |
| Reading Level (Conceptual): | Sophisticated readers |
| Reading Level (Vocabulary): | Children 12 and up |
| Genre: | Science fiction |
| Year of publication: | 1977 |
Story of a boy who is raised (some would say, manipulated) to use his gifts to save humanity, and the thanks he gets. Easy to read, but not appropriate for young readers. | |
Caution: Lots of violence, some racial stereotyping. The only answer to bullying, per Orson Scott Card, is to beat the ringleader to a pulp, if not worse. (It might not sound like it, but we did enjoy this book, when we were not wincing...)Other books for about ages 12 and up Other books about/for gifted children | |
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If you found this review helpful and/or interesting, consider supporting our book habit: Buy this book!: Ender's Game | |
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| Author: | Paul Stewart |
| Illustrator: | Chris Riddell |
| Reading Level (Conceptual): | Children 8 and up |
| Reading Level (Vocabulary): | Children 8 and up |
| Genre: | fiction |
| Year of publication: | 2004 |
The Edge Chronicles is an interesting series for advanced young readers. They are for-real chapter books set in a very odd post-apocalyptic time/place, but they include very interesting pen drawings on nearly every page. The only downside to them is that there is a great deal of violence and death throughout, including deaths of very prominent characters. | |
Two years ago, my daughter would not have finished even one of these. She's on the fourth of the series now. Each time she finishes one, she vows to not read the next, but after a few weeks pass, she's on to the next. | |
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If you found this review helpful and/or interesting, consider supporting our book habit: Buy this book!: Edge Chronicles, The | |
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| Author: | Pearl S. Buck |
| Illustrator: | Hokusai and Hiroshige |
| Reading Level (Conceptual): | Sophisticated readers |
| Reading Level (Vocabulary): | Children 8 and up |
| Genre: | fiction |
| Year of publication: | 1947 |
Two Japanese boys survive a tidal wave. Living as we do near the coast, I was surprised that it took my ten year old more than a week to react to the recent devastating tsunamis. Last night, finally, she began to take the tsunamis very personally. "We live at the top of a high hill," she said. "So I'm not worried about what would happen if I were here and the tsunami hit. But, my school is much closer to sea level. What would we do if the tsunami hit when we were at school?" Run uphill, I told her. Run fast. What else should I have said? Today, I paid a visit to my daughter's school. I asked them whether they would be notified if a tsunami were detected. I asked what the procedures would be in case that sort of a warning is issued. I suggested that everyone at the school get together to discuss what the plan would be. | |
Tonight, I read The Big Wave all the way through in one sitting. It is only 80 pages long and it packs a punch. The lovely woodblock prints in the hardcover edition were selected by the author. Here are my favorite quotes in order. The Big Wave: every child over 10 living on a coast should read it. But although the words are simple,
the ideas are difficult to deal with.
-- Emily Berk | |
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If you found this review helpful and/or interesting, consider supporting our book habit: Buy this book!: Big Wave, The | |
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| Author: | Dick King-Smith |
| Reading Level (Conceptual): | Children 8 and up |
| Reading Level (Vocabulary): | Children 8 and up |
| Genre: | fiction, magic |
| Year of publication: | 1983 |
Involving contemporary account of a girl who is granted seven! wishes, more or less. | |
Don't you always wonder why the person who gets the wishes doesn't just wish for extra wishes as the FIRST wish? Yes, Robin William's genii did rule that out in his statement of pre-conditions as announced to Aladin, but most other wish-granters don't bother. | |
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If you found this review helpful and/or interesting, consider supporting our book habit: Buy this book!: Queen's Nose | |
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| Author: | T. A. Barron |
| Reading Level (Conceptual): | Children 8 and up |
| Reading Level (Vocabulary): | Children 8 and up |
| Genre: | King Arthur |
| Year of publication: | 1999 |
Fourth in a series about the childhood of Merlin. The bally mag is just a hoot. | |
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If you found this review helpful and/or interesting, consider supporting our book habit: Buy this book!: Mirror of Merlin | |