Thursday, June 16, 2011

School's out

I hope you have already lost yourself in the pages of a book this summer. I have enjoyed some great new finds. The new series by Maryrose Wood about those wild children( I mean this literally; they were found in the woods) at Ashton Place is a parody of those melodramatic Victorian novels with an unlikely heroine. The book is a treasure trove of puns and silly references. Who could resist?
I also read Gary Schmidt's new book Okay for Now. He never fails to disappoint; I am enamoured with the characters from almost the first page. The plot of the book revolves around the works of Audubon--yes, the bird guy, and the illustrations referenced are in the book. The plot is a little far fetched, but his writing is so good that you will want to believe. A book with a similar plot is Blue Balliett's newest called The Danger Box.  This book also centers on a relationship formed at the library and involves the work of someone famous. Like the other books (Chasing Vermeer, The Wright Three) there is some sleuthing involved, but I found the characters in this story much more interesting.
Happy summertime.