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The Fourth Stall, Part II, Review and Giveaway

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Last year, Chris Rylander introduced us to Mac, a sixth-grader who has set up shop in an old, unused boys’ bathroom, from which he runs his business in The Fourth Stall (linked to my review). He’s in the business of helping kids out with their problems, and business is good. Now Mac is back, and the problems kids are bringing him are bigger than ever in The Fourth Stall, Part II.

When Trixie von Parkway comes to see Mac in his bathroom stall office, he knows from the start that this job is going to be different. It probably doesn’t help that Trixie (if that’s even her real name) makes him stumble over his words or feel instantaneously goofy, but it’s even more than that. The request that she brings him is just the first of several that leave Mac wondering if he can actually find a way to successfully complete these jobs.

When Trixie’s story starts to unravel a little, Mac discovers that she may not be telling him the whole truth. As he and his trusty assistants try to put the pieces together on that front, the puzzle only gets larger as more and more odd things are happening at the school. From the mysterious animal droppings that are being found in lockers to the sudden and surprising school lunch menu changes, kids are wondering what is going on. Add to it all, the upcoming SMART exams (Standardized Minimum Aptitude Reviewer Tests) have everyone, teacher and students alike, in a tizzy. Could the pieces all lead to a teacher or a school administrator? Is Mac way out of his sixth grade league here? What will he do when his entire school is on the line?

Ah, there’s some suspense in this middle grade novel, and there are just enough mysteries to keep even “reluctant readers” turning the pages. Filled with the same irreverent tone that evokes the watered down “tough guy” caricature that Rylander introduced in the first novel, the second installment continues Mac’s adventures and introduces some greater challenges to his ability to continue his business. I found this one to be more plot-driven than the first, with less of an emphasis on the friendship between Mac and his best friend/business partner Vince and more of a focus on the characters’ attempts at figuring out what is happening in the school. The Fourth Stall, Part II kept me entertained and gets a hearty endorsement from my own 11 year old son, too!

Giveaway time! We have two books for a lucky winner- a hardcover copy of The Fourth Stall, Part II and a paperback copy of last year’s The Fourth Stall, both with bookplates signed by the author Chris Rylander. Please leave a comment here to be entered (US and Canada addresses only), and the winner will be announced on 3/7.

Dawn likes returning to middle grade fiction for some innocent, light reading, as well as to connect with what keeps her own son excitedly turning the pages. She blogs at my thoughts exactly.

The Fourth Stall, Review and Giveaway

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Get a glimpse of the cover of Chris Rylander’s first middle-grade novel, and you’ll instantly understand the slightly dark sense of humor in The Fourth Stall. With an elementary school (and an old out-of-use bathroom) as the background and a sixth grade boy (who “solves” other kids’ problems for a fee or a favor) as the primary character, the story is set up from the beginning in the fashion of a slight parody of the “mobster” culture, placing it firmly in the contemporary world of American schoolchildren.

Sixth-grader Christian, better known as Mac (short for MacGyver, which first used by an eighth grader one time and simply stuck), is the guy to see if you’re a kid who needs something. We’re not talking about things completely on the up and up, of course. Fake hall passes, quiz answers, maybe a video game that’s been outlawed by one’s parents. Mac can help kids get their hands on things like this, because he’s got connections that run the gamut from kids younger than himself who can help him out, all the way up to the school janitor who owes him a couple of favors. Mac is the man.

The usual cases keep his business running briskly, with a constant line of potential customers outside his office in the East Wing bathroom, the fourth stall from the high window, to be exact. For all his assistance, Mac is repaid in cash, as well as in favors to be collected upon at a later date. As a result, Mac’s business is quite profitable, and his right-hand man, his best friend to boot, Vince keeps close track of their books. Vince and Mac, die-hard Chicago Cubs fans, are working toward a goal- to go see a World Series game if the Cubs ever pull it together enough to make it in. But everything is threatened when their toughest case yet visits them in the bathroom one day- even Mac can’t imagine it, but this case has the potential to bring down his entire empire, as well as ruin his friendship with Vince, which is even worse to think about.

I started out reading this aloud with my ten year old son, but life got in the way of our reading together for a week or so, so he finished it on his own, and I then followed suit. The first few chapters introduce a humorous tone that still has a level of innocence to it, despite the overt depictions of an elementary school kid’s mob-like business. As the novel progresses, though, the language gets slightly stronger (nothing more than “pissed off” and insinuations at cursing), and the suspense and violence increase as well, with a couple scenes of moderately described adolescent physical fights. In my opinion, it was on the upper edge of what I’m comfortable with for my own fifth grade son now, but I wouldn’t have handed this to him a year or two ago.

This isn’t the type of book that overtly teaches a lesson, and clearly even the protagonist who is presented to the audience as the person with whom to identify, is not an ideal example of morality. Yet, readers will identify with his personal struggles of understanding what it means to trust someone and how to sustain a friendship through times of trouble.

Overall, The Fourth Stall is funny in a way that will appeal to older elementary and middle school kids, and is also appealing for its contemporary setting and tone. Even with an eleven year old boy at the center of the story, there’s a lot of expressed emotion and heart here, depicted in a way that is simultaneously tender and authentic, directed both at friendship and baseball- things many boys can relate to.

We have a special giveaway today for one lucky reader- a hardcover copy of The Fourth Stall with a bookplate signed by Chris Rylander. Leave a comment here to be entered, U.S. and Canada addresses only, please. We’ll announce a winner in our regular giveaway spot on 4/20.

This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for all the entries!

We’re happy to be just one stop on the blog tour for The Fourth Stall. Check out Walden Pond Press’ blog for more posts this week.

Also, check out author Chris Rylander’s original essay in our On Reading column- Writing for a Middle Grade Audience.

Dawn enjoys reading what interests her oldest child as one way to stay connected. She’s sometimes “allowed” to write about him on her blog, my thoughts exactly.

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Vincent Shadow

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I thought that these books by Tim Kehoe might appeal to my 2nd grader, with their compelling plotline and inviting covers. I accepted the offer to review them and put them out in plain sight when they arrived. Kyle took the bait, deciding he liked Vincent Shadow: Toy Inventor as soon as he started it, and continuing with the newly released second in the series, Vincent Shadow: The Top Secret Toys.

Vincent Shadow is an inventor. He’s also an 11-year-old boy. He’s never marketed any of his toys, but he gets literal flashes of brilliance when the ideas come to him, fully realized in a vision which blacks him out for a minute. The toys mentioned within the pages are actually author/inventor Tim Kehoe’s creations.

One reservation I have is that the content seems a tiny bit dark. Vincent’s dad has recently remarried, and Vincent is definitely a mis-treated stepchild. While his new sisters get warm soup and crackers and fresh brownies in their lunchboxes, he gets a crusty peanut butter sandwich. When they move to Minnesota, he gets a little room in the basement. His oldest step-sister can’t even be bothered to get his name right, though Stella, who is his age, is kind and helpful.

When I was mid-way through the first book, I asked Kyle what he thought about his step-mother and step-sisters (and even his father refused to accompany him to New York when he won the opportunity to compete in the Toy Invention contest). He said that were a little mean sometimes. After finishing the book, I saw what he meant. They do redeem themselves by acting in the way that a supportive family should act.

The second book, Vincent Shadow: The Top Secret Toys, Vincent gets to spend a summer working with famous Toy Inventor Howard Whiz, where he also has to help save Whizzer Toys.

Kyle has ranked these books among the top series he’s discovered this year. He says the second is even better than the first, but warns that you must read them in order to truly understand. What he really loved was the inventions (and each book even has a cool inventor’s notebook in the back with more sketches and fully described ideas), and that is more of the focus of the 2nd one.

The books are very narrative (descriptions versus actions), but in spite of this the stories move along at a nice fast pace. As I said, my own son read them both back to back, and this is no easy feat. Though he’s a very strong reader, he is also particular, so there are some books that he won’t even try to read, and others that he will give a short chapter or two’s consideration at my insistence, and then put down. I’m heartily giving these books my recommendation.

The reading level is a high 4th grade (which is Kyle’s testing level at school). There are definitely some big words, so a younger struggling reader might have trouble (though they’d still be great read-alouds).

One of you can enter to win a copy of both books (U.S. only). Just leave a comment here, and I’ll pick a random comment. The winner will be announced in our giveaway column on 3/21. The giveaway is closed.

Don’t miss a thing: Check out our current giveaways. Subscribe to our feed or video reviews on YouTube. Follow us @5M4B on Twitter or on Facebook.

Jennifer loves reading books with her children, and having the tools and recommendations of others to put great books in their hands. She blogs at Snapshot.

Trauma Queen, Review and Giveaway

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One of the absolute joys that I experienced in judging the middle grade fiction round I nominees for the Cybils was discovering many books that are perfect for that older middle school reader (like my daughter, Amanda, an avid 12-year-old reader). Barbara Dee’s This is Me From Now On was one of the stand-outs (linked to my review of it and other awesome novels for tween girls).

When I had the opportunity to review her new novel, Trauma Queen, I knew it was something that Amanda and I would enjoy.

This book centers around a mother-daughter relationship, or rather the lack of a relationship, since the daughter in question is in middle school and lives in a perpetual state of embarrassment of her mother. Her reasons are many, but mostly stem from her mother’s wacky job as a performance artist. In fact, one of her performances not only cost Marigold a relationship with her best friend, but resulted in them leaving town.

Marigold changes school right at the end of the year, giving her an outsider’s view of all the middle school drama. There are cute boys, mean girls, and loners — all the usual suspects — but I loved that they are not portrayed in a completely stereotypcial way.

This funny and sweet novel is a great book for moms and daughters to read together. Both Marigold’s (“She named me after a flower that most people think is a weed!”) and Becca’s (“You know I hate being called Mrs. Bailey”) stories are told fairly, which will help mothers and daughters empathize with each other.

I am pleased to be able to offer a copy to one of you (U.S. and Canadian addresses are eligible). Please leave a comment if you’d like to win, and we’ll announce the winner in our giveaway post on Wednesday, May 4. This giveaway is closed.

Also, please check out author Barbara Dee’s guest post on “The Perfect Mom” (in literature), published here in our On Reading column.

Jennifer Donovan has never wrapped herself in plastic wrap as Becca Bailey did, but she still embarrasses her tween daughter. She tries not to blog about such matters at Snapshot.

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On Reading: Writing for a Middle Grade Audience…

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… Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying About the Details and Just Have Fun

I’ve been asked to discuss writing for a middle grade audience. These are the kids who have moved on from picture books and early readers, but maybe don’t yet relate to the characters or situations in young adult or teen novels. There can definitely be a tricky balance in writing books for this group of readers. You want to challenge them and give them stories and characters they relate to, entertain them, and still leave room for deeper complexity in the story and themes and all of that other stuff.

I think the secret to writing successful middle grade fiction is to not worry about that delicate balance. For me, the trick to finding that right mixture of content in middle grade fiction is simply to focus on writing a fun book, with a real middle grade voice that speaks directly to the kids.

Anyway, when I started writing The Fourth Stall, (linked to Dawn’s review) here are some questions I didn’t ask myself:

    1. Well, how can I keep this appropriate for middle grade kids?
    2. How should I incorporate such and such theme?
    3. How can I get this idea across to kids?
    4. What lesson do I want to teach them?
    5. What if they think I’m talking down to them?
    6. What do I want my book to be about?
    7. How do I make sure it’s not too complicated or hard to read?
    8. How can I get kids to think my book is cool?
    9. What if they don’t like it?
    10. What if they think the guy who wrote this must be a loser?
    11. Oh no, what if they can tell that I’m an adult who doesn’t relate to them anymore and who also likes to eat jelly with a spoon?
    12. What if they want to feed my book to their little brother or sister?
    13. Maybe parents will hate me for putting instructions on how to start fires in the book?
    14. I can’t put this in the book, can I?
    15. What happens if I do?
    16. OMG, I better not put that in there, I want to make sure parents like this book, too.
    17. I might be sort of hungry now?
    18. I deserve a nacho break, right?

None of those questions crossed my mind. Except maybe the last two.

But the point is, I think the key to writing for a middle grade audience, and maybe any audience, is not to over think things. Not to over analyze or stress about technical content or details or peripheral stuff. I think writing a great story that middle grade readers will relate to all comes down to one thing: having fun. Embrace your inner child. Or, you know, whatever.

The only question I asked myself before I start writing my first middle grade book is this: What would be the coolest, most action-packed, fun book that I never got to read as a 12 year old?

And the answer was The Fourth Stall. When writing it, the same logic applied. If I wasn’t having fun writing about my characters, then why would readers have fun reading about them? Of course there is hard work involved, and eventually details and content will need to be addressed in some way. But, initially, writing for a middle grade audience was all about having fun and writing what I would have wanted to read as a kid. And if you write a story organically, one driven by the desire to entertain, then I think the depth and complexity and themes, and all of that other stuff will start to develop on their own. (Also with the help of a great editor.)

Although, to be fair, it may be easier for me to do this than it might be for others. My social and psychological development pretty much ended when I was 13, so I’m basically an overgrown kid myself in a lot of ways. I still love video games, action figures, playing sports, toys, Lego, laughing at weird and gross stuff, and not cleaning my bedroom. So writing for a middle grade audience comes fairly naturally for me. If the writing entertains me, then I assume it will also entertain middle school kids. And I hope it does. Because if not, then I’ll fight them. After school, 3:17, by the monkey bars.

Chris Rylander is the author of The Fourth Stall (linked to Dawn’s review and giveaway), recently named a Spring 2011 Kids’ Indie Next List selection and showered with praise like this from author Jon Scieszka: “Here is an original – a story that really gets how guys are pals. It’s also a story about sixth grade wiseguys that is funny, mysterious, and true to the heart of what really matters when you are in middle school. Do yourself a favor. Read it. Now.”

Read more about Chris Rylander on his site www.chrisrylander.com.

Hilda and the Black Hound #MMGM

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51zOYv6Oc1L._SL250_Earlier this year, I was introduced to the Hildafolk series by Luke Pearson. My review of Hilda and the Troll emphasized my adoration of this spunky young character and the adventurous tone of the story in this complex comic book. What I didn’t realize was that the series had continued with three additional books! Hilda and the Black Hound is the latest, and this fourth in the series has Hilda facing another adventure, of course, with just the amount of pluck and heart readers have come to expect from her.

Since the first book in the series, Hilda and her mother have moved away from the Fjords and into the small city of Trolberg. It’s clear that Hilda still misses the wide expanse of the natural world, and the opening page demonstrates both these feelings and her vivid imagination. In this story, Hilda gets the opportunity to reconnect with the outdoors through her participation in the Sparrow Scouts. With a focus on being a good friend to “all people, animals and spirits,” this group seems tailor-made for Hilda!

Just as Hilda gets ready to start earning some badges, her attention gets sidetracked by two seemingly unrelated phenomena. First, sightings of a larger-than-life black hound around the city are making people increasingly concerned. Around that time, Hilda also learns about the Nisse, house spirits that usually reside invisibly inside people’s homes. Her mother explains their existence after Hilda notices one sitting on the sidewalk, and though she feels compassionate for his plight after being kicked out of his house, her mother insists that they are nothing but trouble, and she should not feel bad for him.

If you know Hilda, though, you know that’s not the end of the story for her. In her efforts to assist the Nisse she saw on the street, she soon becomes entangled in a bigger mystery that takes up all her badge-earning time, but helps to finally put the city’s residents at ease. By the end of this delightful 64-page hardcover comic book, not only does Hilda display the depth of her courageousness and empathy, but she entertains as well with her offbeat sense of humor. This fourth installment in the Hildafolk series has been as big a hit with my children (6, 8, and 13) as the first book.

Find more middle grade book recommendations at Shannon Messenger’s Marvelous Middle Grade Monday roundup.

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I Am Walt Disney

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5M4B disclosure

I am Walt DisneyThe wee ones love the magic of Walt Disney, and they are not alone. He is a fascinating character, and the city of Chicago is about to open his original home as a museum that I am certain we’ll one day visit. The “I Am…” series by Scholastic books has just published I Am Walt Disney by Grace Norwich as the latest installment, and as always, I learned a ton about him when reading it.

The book follows the format of others in the book, detailing the story of Walt Disney. I love that it doesn’t sugar-coat the effort that it took for him to achieve his life’s work and the difficulties he faced as a child. It was interesting for me to see the parallels between his father’s entrepreneurial spirit – that often failed, but never gave up – and Walt’s willingness to do what it took to find his niche and create his empire.

I knew many of the details of his life, as he’s such an icon even today. I still learned so much more, and I was fascinated to discover that the reason Walt Disney began creating full length animations was because the theaters that had been buying his animated shorts could no longer afford to purchase them as movie theater owners in the late 1930s had started running double features but not increasing their ticket prices. Walt didn’t try to change what he couldn’t but instead decided to tackle the problem head on by becoming one of those full length features, starting with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

I Am Walt Disney is easy to read, with plenty of illustrations. It is aimed to appeal to third and fourth graders, and I can attest that my third and fourth graders both devoured the book, though I think the appeal is wider than that. It is at a fifth grade reading level, something I appreciate as the parent of children who read above grade level where I frequently struggle to find content that is appropriate for them with a higher reading level.

The call outs within the book to make a specific emphasis on tangents related to the current topic in Walt’s biography without being completely relevant to the immediate story. It was interesting to learn about the evolution of cartooning and how the multi-plane camera was a true innovation. I do wish that when they take up two pages, they don’t come in the middle of a sentence that instead of breaking across one page, breaks across three. I found myself skipping the callout to finish the paragraph or page then going back a page to read the callout, which isn’t convenient.

Written by Michelle who would definitely have been a member of the Mickey Mouse Club – and once signed a kindergarten homework assignment as “Mickey Mouse” in green crayon – had it been around when she was a child. See what else Michelle adores via her blog Honest & Truly! and follow along with her on Twitter where she is also @HonestAndTruly.

Reluctant Readers Road to Recovery Guide

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Do you fear approaching your Reluctant Reader? Have they been spotted this summer participating in questionable behavior with their books like building forts and extreme paper dolls? Identified by their atypical behaviors, the Reluctant Readers Road to Recovery Guide is here to help you create successful encounters with hesitant young readers everywhere.  Panic no more and take control of rainy day havoc, poolside chaos and playground mayhem with a great book for your unique reader.

Reluctant Readers Road to Recovery Guide

The Make-Believer has more imagination frequent flier miles than a Pan Am stewardess! The best cure for this case of Reluctant Reading is Elliot and the Last Underworld War: The Underworld Chronicles. The Make-Believer will be thrilled to join the sarcastically hilarious Elliot in the Underworld. As the King of the Brownies, Elliot has battled Goblins, tricked Pixies, and trapped a Demon. But now, the Demon has escaped and he’s ready for revenge. So, the Pixies, Shapeshifters, Elves, Goblins, and Brownies must join forces to battle the Demon head on before he has the chance to destroy Earth.

The Daredevil thinks trick-or-treating should apply to everyday life, especially the tricks! Cure their hunger for trouble with Horrid Henry and the Zombie Vampire by Francesca Simon. Not even your daredevil will believe what Henry is up to next in these four new wonderful and wacky tales. The international bestselling Horrid Henry series provides readers with a prankster whose relentless antics create a laugh-out-loud read. WARNING: Do not allow daredevils to consume milk while reading or milk may spray from the nose!

The BFF has matching bracelets with all her friends and wins Miss Congeniality every year. This is a case of Reluctant Reading that can only be cured with Hailey Twitch and the Wedding Glitch by Lauren Barnholdt. Hailey Twitch and her spirited sprite Maybelle, return in the fourth installment to the fab, fab, fabulous series. The BFF will be delighted to read as Hailey gets ready to be a flower girl in her cousin’s wedding! Maybelle’s mischief and fairy magic is back and might land the duo in trouble!

Bruce Lee 2.0 can quote Enter the Dragon from start to finish and has broken table lamps with leg kicks. The only cure for such readers (and your house) is to follow the UK’s youngest secret agent in Revenge: Jason Steed by Mark A. Cooper. Set in a fast-paced 1970s Britain with non-stop excitement and martial arts fight scenes, Revenge is perfect for kids who aspire to be the next martial arts master and are looking for adventure stories and heroes who aren’t afraid to take action. In the thrilling follow-up to Fledgling Jason is sent on a new undercover mission and must infiltrate a shadowy criminal organization –but his luck is running out.

 Follow this guide and enter to win a chance of snagging these great summer reads in a giveaway pack! Just leave a comment below, and one of you could win all 4 titles. We’ll announce the winner in our July 25 book giveaway column.

Gone Missing

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Gone Missing is the fourth installment in a gripping series of Amish thrillers by Linda Castillo. The books feature Kate Burkholder, chief of police in the small town of Painters Mill, Ohio. The area is home to a large Amish community, and Kate’s Amish upbringing uniquely qualifies her to bridge the gap between the Amish and non-Amish when there is a crime to be investigated.

In this case, Kate is called away from Painters Mill to consult with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation regarding a series of missing persons, all of whom are Amish teenagers in the midst of their rumspringa. During this time, the young people are allowed to engage in behaviors outside of the traditional strict rules, prior to making the commitment to join the church. Now several of them have disappeared and the Amish have called in the police after being unable to locate them on their own.

Working closely with state agent John Tomasetti, Kate brings her knowledge of the Amish to help the team gain as much information as possible from the families of the missing teens. The search becomes even more intense once a body is discovered, and the investigators race against time to find the others while they are still alive. Their findings take them in several different directions as they follow every lead they can dig up, with the truth becoming more and more sinister the closer they get.

With Gone Missing, Castillo gives us a chilling tale that shows us it is not always possible to avoid evil, no matter who we are or what we do. The story is well-rounded, with good characterization, fast-paced action and a fascinating setting that is rarely seen in a suspense novel. In the midst of this, we also see some romance, as Kate and John explore the tentative relationship that began earlier in the series.

Just in case you are thinking this is like your typical Amish novel, I should tell you that there is some swearing and sexual activity, as well as the violence and gore associated with the crimes that have been committed. This is not meant to warn you off of the book, merely to give you a heads up if thrillers aren’t your usual genre. For those who enjoy a good mystery, or are willing to give them a try, Gone Missing and the rest of the Kate Burkholder series would be a good place to start.

To celebrate the release of this book, St. Martin’s Press is providing a giveaway package (open to US addresses only). Simply leave a comment below to enter, and we’ll announce the winner on July 25th. This giveaway is now closed.

One (1) winner will receive:

About the author:
New York Times bestselling author Linda Castillo lives in Texas with her husband and is currently at work on her next book in this series, also set in Amish Country and featuring Chief of Police Kate Burkholder. Visit www.lindacastillo.com to learn more.

Don’t miss a thing: Check out our current giveaways. Subscribe to our feed or video reviews on YouTube. Follow us @5M4B on Twitter or on Facebook.

You can visit Trish online at her blog, In So Many Words.

Looking for some more thrilling reads? Check these out:

Cry in the Night

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Cry in the Night is the fourth installment of Colleen Coble’s Rock Harbor series, but the first I’ve read. The characters have carried over, yet the book stands alone well.

Karen Kingsbury has dubbed Coble a “master storyteller”. She’s right. I was sucked in from the first chapter, when Pia Westola hides an unidentified baby and falls to her death. Search-and-rescue worked Bree Matthews later finds Pia’s body and the abandoned infant, and begins to search for the child’s parents. Her search puts her family, and her future, in jeopardy. As Bree rushes to find answers, her world begins to shatter.

I enjoy a good mystery. Parts of this one were easily solved, but there were also some surprises. My only criticism (and it’s not much of one) is that there are too many characters in the story. At times, I found it difficult to keep up with everyone, but that may be because I came into the series late. I definitely want to go back and read the first three books.

Cry in the Night also includes a Reading Group Guide that will encourage readers to take a closer look at the characters and their relationships.

Melissa has been captivated by books for as long as she can remember. She resides in Virginia and blogs at Breath of Life.

Books on Screen: Twilight

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After months of anticipation, Twilight hit the big screen this past weekend, playing to hundreds of sold-out theaters full of eager fans. Based on the novel by Stephenie Meyer, Twilight chronicles the story of 17-year-old Bella Swan, a newcomer to dreary Forks, Wash., who meets and falls in love with handsome vampire Edward Cullen (For a complete synopsis, check out Lisa’s book review here).

Director Catherine Hardwicke had her work cut out for her in making a cinematic version of the bestseller. To begin, she had thousands of die-hard Twilight fans who would want to see good casting and a movie that closely follows the book. Beyond that, she also had the challenge of taking a book where a lot of the action takes place in the mind of the main character — making it sometimes difficult to translate the story to film.

I loved the book. And I really wanted to like the movie. I was willing to forgive it a multitude of sins, but the fact is, it isn’t nearly as engrossing as the book. In the end, the mistakes that were made — overacting, cheesy dialogue and bad makeup (to name a few) were impossible to overlook.

The general gist of Twilight has been loosely preserved in the movie adaptation, but if you’re looking for a meticulous chronological retelling of the book — a la Harry Potter — you won’t find it here. Several scenes from the book have been omitted entirely.

Perhaps most disappointing, the flirtatious banter that takes place throughout the book between Bella and Edward was edited down to a dribble. The famous “meadow scene” where they declare their love for each other was cut drastically short and happens very differently from the book’s account. To make matters worse, the scenes that were added did very little to forward the plot, and I found myself wondering why they were added at all.

The end result was that you don’t get to watch the relationship between Edward and Bella grow. You don’t feel the intensity of their passion. The relationship — which is the story — ends up feeling rushed and forced.

For the record, I do find Robert Pattinson absolutely dreamy — he was cast well. But while he does a good job of portraying the brooding and serious side of Edward, his character doesn’t get enough opportunities to show his charming side. We rarely see Edward smile or joke. He looks at Bella with either a psychotic intensity or as if he had been crying for hours before. As a moviegoer, I’m supposed to be in love with this vampire for two hours. Instead, I found myself wondering — aside from his looks — why Bella is attracted to him at all.

**Warning — spoilers to follow!!! If you don’t want to know what happens, stop reading now.***

The movie’s pivotal scenes were often overacted to the point of being almost campy. When Bella walks into biology class and Edward is close enough to catch her scent for the first time, he looks like he’s suffering from a bad case of food poisoning — not intense desire. When Edward reveals himself to Bella for the first time, sparkling in the sunlight, the bad makeup and cheesy dialogue make it hard to focus on what’s supposed to be a touching, intimate moment.

But, for all its missteps, Twilight did get a few things right. It handled the “action scenes” (the baseball game, the final confrontation at the ballet studio) fairly well — and the vampire casting (both of the Cullen clan and the three others) was spot on.

Twilight sucked in nearly $70 million at the box office this past weekend, making it the fourth biggest movie premiere of the year. That finish guarantees the next book in Meyer’s series, New Moon, will be on the big screen soon. Hopefully, with an increased budget and a critical eye toward the mistakes made in the first movie, there will be significant improvements for the next installment.

If you haven’t read the books, don’t let the movie deter you from indulging in a truly great read. And for those of you who have read the books and are looking to merely indulge in an Edward Cullen fix, save yourself the money and just reread the books.

Michelle blogs regularly about life and family at her personal blog, Life with Three.

The Secret Life of Samantha McGregor Series

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When I opened the first package of books I received from Jennifer, one piqued my interest immediately. Payback (The Secret Life Samantha McGregor, Book 4) by Melody Carlson seemed to be a book I could quickly devour. My instincts were right.

In this fourth and final installment of the teen series, high school student Samantha McGregor is helping local detectives as they try to stop what they believe will be a terrorist attack. Why are the police seeking help from a teenager? Samantha has visions and dreams from God. In fact, Samantha has already seen the impending attack in vivid detail and shared the information with her friend, Detective Ebony Hamilton.

Samantha and Ebony race to put together the pieces of the puzzle before lives are lost. Sam tries to focus on what the Lord is trying to show her. It’s not such an easy task. She’s worried about her mother’s new too-good-to-be-true boyfriend, and how she can keep stalling her boyfriend while she goes undercover. I was hooked on trying to decipher Samantha’s visions along with her, and couldn’t put the book down.

I enjoyed Payback so much, I started reading the other books in the series. I just finished the first book, Bad Connection, which did not disappoint. Samantha and Ebony work on their first case together, trying to find one of Samantha’s friends who’s gone missing, while Samantha’s family starts to crumble around her.

Samantha’s gift could open a theological debate about visions and dreams, as well as those who claim to have them. However, Carlson sets the record straight from the beginning, with a letter to her readers explaining that her novel is

…not a theological study on the proper use of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. While I do believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit and that God wants all of us to do many wonderful things, I also realize that Samantha’s gift, her ability to receive dreams and visions from God, is extremely rare and unique…

Carlson includes Scripture throughout the storylines, to encourage her readers to seek the truth from God’s Word. Samantha herself wrestles with doubt about her gift, and learns she must draw continue to rely on God as she works to solve each case. Carlson also includes discussion guides with thought-provoking questions aimed to spark meaningful dialogue, and some resources for those wanting to know more about hearing God’s voice.

Bravo to Melody Carlson for giving us a fiction series that goes beyond today’s typical teen fare.

Melissa has been captivated by books for as long as she can remember. She resides in Virginia, and at Breath of Life.

The Twilight Saga

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My son read the first three novels in Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight saga a few months ago, and I have to admit, I was somewhat skeptical. One, the book jacket described the series with words like “deeply seductive” and “vampires thirsting for blood”–could this really be appropriate for my teenager? And two, did I mention vampires? I mean, fantasy or science fiction or whatever genre vampires and werewolves belong to–it’s not really my preference.

So I was skeptical, that is until I read Meyer’s novel The Host based on Jennifer’s recommendation at 5 Minutes for Mom, and I was both surprised and intrigued. My friend offered to let me borrow the Twilight novels–Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse–and now just five days later I can tell you all skepticism has vanished. Let’s put it this way: three books, five days. You do the math.

Pick your adjective: compelling, suspenseful, intriguing, fascinating, enthralling, surprising, inventive. Oh yeah, don’t forget enjoyable, immensely enjoyable. Add some vampires, werewolves, a few battle scenes and a healthy dose of romance and you have a taste of the Twilight saga’s appeal.

Meyers tells the story of seventeen-year-old Bella Swan who moves to Forks, Washington to live with her father, Charlie. She meets a mysterious classmate, Edward, and despite discovering he is a vampire, a “vegetarian” vampire who only drinks the blood of animals and not humans, she falls deeply in love and Edward becomes her life. Bella and Edward’s story quickly becomes intertwined with dangerous vampires intent on taking Bella’s life, not to mention werewolves with a long history of enmity with “the cold ones,” i.e. vampires. Bella finds herself caught between her all consuming love for Edward and the steady, subtle love of her best friend and protector Jacob.

One word of warning: this series is intended for teenagers (and adults) and there are battle scenes though no gratuitous descriptions. Despite the subject matter (vampires), their necessary nourishment (blood) did not result in the kind of gore I expected. There is a lot of kissing and at one point, Bella wants to consummate her relationship with Edward, though again there is no overly detailed account. It is worth noting that Edward refuses her, wanting to wait until they are married.

The fourth book in the series, Breaking Dawn*, releases August 2 and I am eagerly anticipating the final installment of Bella’s story. I certainly know what I hope Bella’s fate will be, though I am equally certain there are many more surprises and twists ahead!

(edited to add the link to Lisa’s Breaking Dawn review)

Wife and mother, Bible teacher and blogger, Lisa loves Jesus, coffee, dark chocolate and, of course, books. Read more of her reflections at Lisa writes….

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