By David Glenn

Fellowship & Fairydust staff member David Glenn shares his reviews of young adult novels, many nominated for or awarded the Thomas Newberry Award. In this second post in the series, Glenn reviews adventure novels.

A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck (A Long Way from Chicago #2)

Dial Books, 2000. Hardcover, 144 Pages.

As America struggles with coming out of the Great Depression, Mary Ann Dowdel is sent away from Chicago to spend a year with her grandmother in a quiet Illinois town. Being a city girl, she quickly feels out of place in this strange town, but it gets even worse when she finds out her grandmother is someone who terrifies the neighbors. Mary Ann will find that this year will change not only her relationship with her grandmother, but her life as well.

This story was very interesting to read because it breaks away from traditional narratives. Each chapter consists of a different time of the year that Mary Ann spends in this small town, and often months are skipped. Still, it’s easy to follow along as Mary Ann bonds with her grandmother, and goes to show you don’t need to write a day by day account for a story to make sense. The story can be read in a couple of hours, but it doesn’t feel rushed. It takes its time to establish the dynamics between Mary Ann, her grandmother, and the town they live in. People will smile and laugh at the eccentric tendencies of Mary Ann’s grandmother, and the bond the two develop is touching as well.

Still, parents might want to know there is a moment in the book where a woman runs screaming out of a house naked. Nothing is described, and it’s played solely for comedic purposes. The grandmother does carry a shotgun a lot, but this is a sign of a different time and place, and helps develop her character.
I don’t know if this carries over into later issues, but the book I read had a section at the back with questions that can be used to generate discussion with others. There are also a few activities that classes could try out. I would also add this book can be used to illustrate why families should stay in touch with each other and the importance of communicating with our loved ones.

The View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg

Atheneum Books, 1996. Hardcover, 160 pages.

Mrs. Olinski and her team of six graders were about to do something unexpected: they were on their way to defeating the seventh grade in the state finals. However, that was not the impressive feat of these four students. What was truly inspiring was how these four ended up as friends, and the individual journeys their lives took that shaped them.

I admit it was incredible difficult for me to get into this book. I was thrown off guard by the author constantly switching writing styles to show the history behind each of the team. It did help explain how each person became who they were by the time they met, and why they came to be friends with each other. I did enjoy how their differences became their strengths, and how they ended up lifting someone in need.

I will warn that there’s a moment where someone finds the word a** in front of them, but they change it to another word. Other than that, nothing to worry about.

Parents and teachers can use this story to illustrate how education can be used to lift ourselves to new heights. More importantly, it can show that by being kind and caring to others we can bring joy not only to ourselves but everyone around us.

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale (Princess Academy #1)

Bloomsbury, 2005. Hardcover, 314 pages.

Miri Larendaughter longs to help her family in the quarry on Mount Eskel, but her father forbids her from doing so. As a result she feels useless to her family and village. One day though, a visitor from the lowlands comes to make an announcement: the prince of Danland’s bride will be someone on Mount Eskel! All the girls who are of the appropriate age are take to a special academy to be educated on how to be princesses for the ball when the prince will choose one of them. Competition arises as the girls try to learn their lessons, but is being a Princess really what Miri wants?

It was a little tough to get started, but Shannon Hale once again proves her talent as a writer. Although we don’t leave Mount Eskel the world it’s a part of feels vibrant and alive. We get some idea of history for this world and economics without getting lost in the details. The girls also feel real as some form rivalries with each other. The idea of a school being made to learn to be princesses was an interesting concept that the author successfully pulled off. I love seeing ambition and determination within Miri, but we also get to see compassion and mercy as well. Her crush also helps her feel organic and alive as at her age people do start getting crushes. All in all, I found myself enjoying this story and will be recommending this book to girls who dream of being princesses.

I will warn that there are some moments that might be intense for some. People are held captive against their will, and one is threatened with death. A person falls off a cliff, and another breaks their leg. A girl gets a rat caught in someone’s hair, and frightens them.

Still, like every good book, there are lessons that people can walk away with, and parents can use this book to help teach. One such lesson is each of us is capable of being noble. One discussion teachers can have with their classes is how education can allow us to help our communities. One of my favorites is showing others compassion can be a blessing for all.

Holes by Louis Sachar (Holes #1)

Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1998. Hardcover, 272 pages.

            Stanley Yelnats is part of a family that seems to have a knack for having bad luck. As a result they always blame one of their ancestors whenever something goes wrong. One day when Stanley thinks he hit a stroke of good luck he is arrested for a crime he didn’t commit. As a result he is sent to Camp Green Lake where the prisoners are forced to dig holes everyday. It eventually becomes clear the warden is using the prisoners to search for something instead of rehabilitating them, but can Stanley figure out what?

I’ve seen this book around for some time, and I regret not picking it up sooner. It has moments where it moves quickly and others where it slows down, but that seems to add to the story’s charm. It did confuse me whenever the story jumped into the past, but in a way that helped move the story along. The author has managed to craft a humorous, fun story that you will be hard-pressed to put down.
For those who are worried, blood is mentioned but not in the gory sense. A racial slang is used, and racial prejudice is used for a scene in the past, but it’s used to emphasize the injustice that existed in the past and shows why the people weren’t good. People and animals are shot, and poison is used to torture someone.
I would say this book is worth the read because it can help teach the lesson our mistakes do not define who we are. Another great takeaway is that even when things get hard truth will prevail in the end.

The Giver by Lois Lowry (The Giver Quartet #1)

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1993. Hardcover, 192 pages.

            Jonas’s life seems to be perfect, if not routine. Everything is provided for, and he’s never known want or worry. His community is an absolute utopia. However, life throws a curveball his way when he is selected to be the next Receiver of Memory, a position of the highest honor. Under the tutelage of the current Receiver of Memory, who decides to be called the Giver, Jonas receives memories of ages. His lessons show him that his community has done away with not only pain and sorrow, but joy and love. The two of them then hatch a plan to make things right with the community, and maybe save innocent lives from being taken.

This book was read to my class when I was in school, and it was nice to reread it as an adult. There were things I didn’t understand then that as an adult come across clear as day. I can relate to Jonas as he grows from someone just living an everyday life to being aware more of what’s going on behind the scenes in his community. The idea of people going to a system where everything is the same, without color or music or choice, is scary. The story really gets you thinking about the small things that we take for granted, and illustrates why it’s necessary for us to experience what life has to offer both good and bad.

Despite the good story, there are some moments some people might not like. It is revealed in the story someone once committed suicide. Some memories experienced (war, suffering, poaching) might be disturbing for some readers. The characters watch as a baby is killed, but it’s used to show the dark side of this society.

This book does a great job teaching that without pain we cannot know pleasure, and that each of us has the power to bring change.