Mockingbird

Erskine, K. (2010). Mockingbird. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc.

Plot Summary:
Caitlin's family is no stranger to tragedy. Her mother died of cancer a few years ago and her brother was recently shot and killed in a shooting at his middle school. All who is left is Caitlin and her dad. Caitlin has Asberger's and depended on her older brother, Devon, to help her know what is right and wrong and to be her only friend. Mrs. Brooks, Caitlin's counselor at school, helps Caitlin learn about emotions and feelings and how to recognize them in other people. She also teaches her about manners and making friends. These are all concepts that Caitlin has a hard time learning and struggles with throughout the book. She eventually befriends Michael, a first grader whose mother was a teacher killed in the middle school shooting. This friendship helps Caitlin to work on feeling empathy for others and normal interactions between friends. Caitlin and her father are still struggling tremendously with Devon's death and Caitlin decides she needs closure. She searches throughout the book for the one thing that will give her some closure and realizes it's been under her nose the whole time. She persuades her dad to help her finish a chest Devon was making as a project to make Eagle Scout. It is through the completion of this project with her dad which begins to heal her family.

Review:
This is a great book. The style in which it is written, with Caitlin as narrator, is pretty incredible. It really helps to put you in the mind of someone with Asberger's with the capitalization of certain letters for emphasis and the italicization of dialog versus thoughts. It was pretty tragic though, and I'm starting to definitely see a pattern with all of the award winning tween books. Caitlin's mother died of cancer, her brother was killed in a school shooting, and she had Asberger's. But, the book is very well written and deals with the struggle of someone with Asberger's working her way through all of these tragic events in her life and dealings with feelings and emotions of herself and those around her. What was so nice about the book was that Caitlin's outbursts and over sharing of the things she is learning about empathy, friendships, and closure really help to educate those around her, especially her dad who is struggling tremendously throughout the book.

Genre:
realistic fiction

Reading Level:
Ages 9 - 12

Subjects/Themes:
loss, Asberger's, siblings, friendships, cancer, school shootings

Awards:
National Book Award Winner

Character Names/Descriptions:
Caitlin Smith (Scout): 5th grader; sister to Devon; brother died in a school shooting; mother died of cancer; has Asberger's; working with feelings, emotions, friendship, and closure; excellent artist
Devon Joseph Smith (Jem): killed in middle school shooting; brother to Caitlin; boy scout trying to make Eagle Scout
Dad (Atticus): dad to Caitlin and Devon; wife died of cancer; having a very hard time finding closure after Devon's death; helps Caitlin finish Devon's wood chest to find closure
Mrs. Brooks: Caitlin's counselor at school; helps her work with feelings, emotions, manners, friendships, and closure
Michael Schneider: 1st grader; Caitlin's first friend; son of teacher killed in school shooting
Emma: 5th grade classmate of Caitlin; starts to become a friend of Caitlin's
Josh: 5th grade bully; cousin of the school shooter

Annotation:
Caitlin has Asberger's and is struggling her feelings regarding her brother's recent death in a school shooting.

The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones

Riordan, R. (2008). The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc.

Plot Summary:
Amy and Dan Cahill’s parents died long ago, they were left in the care of their great aunt, but loved dearly by the Grandmother, Grace Cahill. When Grace Cahill dies, an incredibly wealthy woman, family members from far and wide come to attend her wedding and to find what they have inherited. Through a video shown by her lawyer, Grace tells the family members that they can either take a million dollars each, or forfeit the money to participate in a challenge, which could make them extremely powerful. Amy and Dan choose to take the challenge along with a few other family members. They are informed that the Cahills are a very powerful family, producing the likes of Benjamin Franklin and Abraham Lincoln. Each participant is given a clue they must solve, the first of 39. The clue initially stumps the two, but with a little encouragement from their grandmother’s lawyer, they are off and running. The challenge has Amy and Dan traveling all over with their sassy au pair and narrowly escaping traps set against them by their own competing family members.

Review:
This was an exciting book, reminding me at times a little of The Westing Game and a little of The Da Vinci Code. I could see kids really getting into these books, especially because of the size of the series. After beginning the book and realizing, there was not really going to be an end to the book and only one clue would be solved, I was a little annoyed thinking I would have to read 38 more books to discover the final outcome of the series, but it looks like there are only 11 total in the first series. I have heard this series described as a marketing ploy, which is hard not to see with game instructions on the back of the book for kids to play. The whole back cover of the book is an advertisement for the 39 Clues game kids can play by collecting playing cards (which come with the book) and entering to win over $100,000 in prizes. This irked me. I would rather kids be interested in books because they enjoy them, not because there is a prize involved. It was a fun and quick book to read, I think they could have done without the gimmick.

Genre:
fiction, mystery, adventure

Reading Level:
Ages 9 – 14

Subjects/Themes:
loss, siblings, treasure hunt

Series Information:
first book of the first series

Character Names/Descriptions:
Amy Cahill: 14 years old; sister to Dan; parents mysteriously died when she was young; her grandmother died leaving a challenge for Amy and Dan and other family members to take; part of a very powerful family; likes to read; has a stutter
Dan Cahill: 11 years old; brother to Amy; parents mysteriously died when she was young; her grandmother died leaving a challenge for Amy and Dan and other family members to take; part of a very powerful family; likes numbers; has a great memory
Grace Cahill: grandmother to Amy and Dan; very wealthy and powerful woman; in her will she challenged her family members to take part in a game that could make them very powerful; has a cat named Saladin
William McIntyre: Grace Cahill’s lawyer; helps Amy and Dan with the challenge
Ian and Natalie Kabra: cousins of Dan and Amy; also take part in the challenge; are evil
The Holt family: relatives to Dan and Amy; also take part in the challenge; are all athletic; aren’t afraid to use brut force to stop their cousins
Alistair Oh: relative of Dan and Amy; Korean; takes part in the challenge; tries to form an alliance with Dan and Amy, but eventually betrays them
Irina Spasky: relative of Dan and Amy; Russian; former spy; takes part in the challenge; uses sneaky methods to try to stop the other participants of the game

Annotation:
Upon the death of the grandmother, Dan and Amy Cahill are invited to participate in a game where they could become very powerful.

The Spiderwick Chronicles: Book 1, The Field Guide

DiTerlizzi, T. & Black, H. The Spiderwick Chronicles: Book 1, The Field Guide. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Plot Summary:
After their parent's recent divorce the Grace children, Mallory, Jared, and Simon, all move with their mom from their apartment in New York to a decrepit Victorian house belonging to their great-aunt, Lucinda. The Grace children immediately sense that there is more to this house than they can see. The scratching noise in the walls prompt them to break open part of the wall where they find an interesting little nest full of newspaper clippings and cockroaches strung up on a string. Mallory destroys the nest, thinking whatever it was that was making it will have to leave. But, destroying its home only makes this little creature angry and strikes vengeance on the Grace children. A note Jared finds in a secret room in the house leads him to discover Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You and the children learn that there is a lot more to this house and their world than they had ever realized.

Review:
This is a wonderfully imaginative book. It is rather short and a quick read, good for younger tweens. Plus, it's a series that leaves the reader with a great hook at the end of the first book, which will inspire young readers to pick up the next book in the series. The illustrations are awesome and add a lot to the book. The Grace children each have their own unique interests, and bond together in their quest to discover what is scurrying around in their house. The authors show the struggle of kids from a recently divorced family, as they are forced to leave the comfort of their home and make major changes in their lives. I look forward to reading more of the Grace children's adventures.

Genre:
fantasy

Reading Level:
Ages 7 - 12

Subjects/Themes:
divorce, siblings, faeries
Series Information:
Book 1 of The Spiderwick Chronicles

Character Names/Descriptions:
Jared Grace: 9 years-old; twins with Simon; brother to Mallory; parents recently divorce; he is having some trouble with his parent's divorce; he finds the Field Guide
Simon Grace: 9 years-old; twins with Jared; brother to Mallory; obsessed with animals; has creatures in jars all over the room he shares with Jared
Mallory Grace: 13 years-old; sister to Simon and Jared; loves fencing; destroys the nest in the wall; has her hair tied to her bed while she sleeps
Arthur Spiderwick: the father to Lucinda, the Grace children's great-aunt; made the Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You Jared finds
Lucinda Spiderwick: the Grace children's great-aunt; is in a home after going crazy talking about faeries; the Grace children go to live in her old Victorian home

Annotation:
After moving to a old Victorian home, the Grace children begin to feel that they are not alone in their new home. The discovery of a peculiar nest in the wall and an interesting book open their eyes to things beyond their imagination.

Luna

Peters, J.A. (2004). Luna. New York, NY: Little, Brown, and Company.

Plot Summary:
Regan’s brother Liam was born a girl. Anatomically Liam was born male, but mentally and emotionally Liam has always been female. Liam dresses up each night in girl’s clothing in his sister’s bedroom, it is the only time he is truly able to be himself and act as his female self, named Luna. Regan alone, is the sole person who knows Luna. The knowledge of Luna is a burden that has kept Regan from keeping friends or becoming close with anyone other than her brother and his best friend, Aly. Regan also must be her brother’s only support. He depends on her for confidence and emotional support. Regan’s relationship with her parents has suffered as well, she cannot contain her contempt for her father who tries to make Liam into the perfect son or her mother who turns a blind eye to her family. As Liam slowly begins to transition into Luna, bringing her out during the day, Regan also begins to emerge from the role she has created for herself. Instead of spending all her time babysitting for the normal family she wishes she had, Regan begins to see Chris, a boy who accepts Regan and her brother as they are.

Review:
The moth on the cover of this book is incredibly appropriate as a symbol of the metamorphosis of Regan and Liam. Throughout the course of the book Liam and Regan both begin to emerge from the protective layers they have been hiding behind. The author does an excellent job of portraying Liam and showing his absolute need to be a girl, that there is no other option for him. What was surprising to me was that I found the complexities of Regan and Liam’s codependent relationship more interesting than Liam’s story. My stomach tensed as I read about the immense pressure Regan had put on herself by making her Liam’s protector. The truths she must hide from everyone, including her brother, in order to protect him. The struggle of not wanting the role she had taken so many years ago, but not wanting to abandon her brother; that he is solely her responsibility. The flashbacks to moments in their life where Liam’s female identity presented itself in public at a young age is an excellent way to show the gradual awareness of his being transgender from the time when he was very young. It is nice that the author added in a little romance to lighten up the book, that was appreciated.

Genre:
realistic fiction

Reading Level:
Ages 12 & up

Subjects/Themes:
transgendered, siblings, self-identity

Character Names/Descriptions:
Regan: a sophomore in high school; her brother is transgendered; isolates herself from people because of her codependent relationship with her brother; begins a relationship with Chris
Liam/Luna: Regan's transgendered brother; is very smart; has a difficult time coming out to his best friend and parnets about being transgender; relies heavily on Regan to keep his secret
Aly: Liam's best friend; is in love with Liam
Chris: classmate of Regan's whom she begins to date

Annotation:
Regan struggles between her need to protect her transgendered brother and her own desires in life.

Al Capone Does My Shirts

Choldenko, G. (2004). Al Capone Does My Shirts. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons.

Plot Summary:
Moose and his family move to Alcatraz Island for his dad's new job as a guard and electrician at the prison. The island has apartments for guards and their families so that they can be close by in case anything happens with the prisoners. Moose's family moves him away from his friends and home to Alcatraz so that his parents can send his older sister, Natalie, to a special school, the Esther P. Marinoff School in San Francisco. Natalie is autistic, although that was not a known diagnosis in 1935, the year in which the book begins. Moose befriends the other kids on the island and becomes notorious at his school in San Francisco for living among the likes of Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly. Natalie does not immediately get into the school and requires special care to prepare her for another shot at acceptance into the school. These lessons are expensive and Moose's mom must work evenings, leaving Natalie in the care of Moose. Moose's outlook on his experiences on the island and his feelings towards his sister begin to change, prompting him to take a big chance in getting Al Capone to pull some strings to make a good thing to happen.

Review:
The setting for this book is incredible. I had no idea that families ever lived on Alcatraz Island. The author does an incredible job of not letting the book get lost in the setting, it's more about Moose and his conflicted self as he navigates new experiences in his new surroundings. I would get so frustrated reading about the responsibilities loaded onto Moose in taking care of his sister. After finishing the book, the author's note states that the author's sister was autistic, which makes sense due to the incredible job she did in capturing the emotions associated with having a sibling with autism. Moose is realistically conflicted about most things in his life, where he lives, his friends, and his feelings towards girls; which is very common to boys this age. The author adds another layer to this with his relationship with his sister and loving her, but also being resentful for the responsibilities placed on him. I especially enjoyed the author's note at the end providing historical accounts of life for families and prisoners on Alcatraz Island. I found myself wondering at the probability of many things throughout the book, so the first hand accounts were very welcome at the end.

Genre:
realistic fiction, historical fiction

Reading Level:
Ages 9 - 12

Subjects/Themes:
siblings, autism, Alcatraz

Series Information:
Al Capone Shines My Shoes is the sequel to this book.

Awards:
2005 Newbery Honor Book

Character Names/Descriptions:
Matthew Flanagan (Moose): 12 year-old boy just moved to Alcatraz Island; sister Natalie is autistic, he takes care of her a lot; likes baseball
Natalie Flanagan: Moose's sister; is 15 years-old, but their mom tells everyone she is 10; is trying to get into the Esther P. Marinoff school; loves counting the buttons in her button box; becomes friendly with an inmate on garden detail (Onion 105)
Al Capone: notorious gangster imprisoned on the island; helps Moose out with a special favor
Theresa Mattaman: girl living on the island; 7 years-old; gets along well with Natalie
Piper Williams: warden's daughter; smart; always scheming; goes to Moose's school in San Francisco
Annie: girl living on the island; 12 years-old; good at playing catch
Jimmy Mattaman: Theresa's brother; builds contraptions

Annotation:
Moose and his family move to Alcatraz Island in 1935. Once there he must adapt to his new life and adjust to the increased responsibility of his autistic sister.

Bone: Rose

Smith, J. (2009). Bone: Rose. New York, NY: Graphix.

Plot Summary:
The story begins with sisters Rose and Briar hearing the tale of the first dragon, a queen named Mim. Mim maintained balance of the world until the Lord of the Locusts entered her mind and made her crazy. She fought against the other dragons until they trapped her underground with the Lord of the Locusts still inside her. Briar and Rose are princesses and will someday be called to rule the land, they must develop their dreaming eye in anticipation of that day. They are taken to Old Man's Cave to finish the last of their training and prepare for their final test. Rose's dreaming eye is more developed than her older sister's and she is able to communicate with her dogs; Briar is secretly jealous of Rose. Once at the Old Man's Cave news comes that the dragon has been released from the mountain and the Lord of the Locusts along with it. Worrying that she released the dragon through her dreams, Rose tries to kill the dragon before it destroys the world. Rose soon realizes that it was Briar, through her jealousy and greed, who freed the dragon. Rose eventually is able to defeat the dragon, but must follow the wise words of the Great Red Dragon and kill the first living creature she sees after completing this task. Next to her is her betraying sister and her beloved dog, Rose must make the choice of whom to kill.

Review:
I didn't know that this was the prequel to the Bone series when I checked it out. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had already read some of the Bone books because I would have had more insight into the story. That aside, it's a great story of jealousy, betrayal, and love between siblings. Rose is a heroic young girl, gifted in the talents that will one day make her a great queen, and full of love for her sister and all other living beings. The illustrations are great, they are done in a more comic book style than most of the graphic novels I've been reading lately. The images of the river dragon are especially beautiful. I look forward to now reading the Bone series and finding what comes of Rose. It was also awesome to find out that Jeff Smith used inspiration from the caves in Hocking County where my family is from in Ohio; in this book are "Old Man's Cave" and "Conkles Hollow."

Genre:
graphic novel, fantasy

Reading Level:
Ages 9 -12

Subjects/Themes:
siblings, good versus evil

Series Information:
This is the prequel to the Bone graphic novel series.

Character Names/Descriptions:
Rose Harvestar: princess; younger sister to Briar; has a good dreaming eye; can talk to dogs
Briar Harvestar: princess; older sister to Rose; is not as gifted as Rose; is jealous of her sister; frees the Lord of the Locusts
The Great Red Dragon: advises Rose on what she must do; good dragon
Mim: first dragon; queen; is driven mad by being possessed by the Lord of the Locusts
The Lord of the Locusts: evil force that possesses Mim and forces her to disrupt the balance of the world

Annotation:
The forces of evil have been unleashed on the land, in her effort to defeat this evil force Rose discovers that those closest to her are not who they seem.

The Dark is Rising

Cooper, S. (1973). The Dark is Rising. New York, NY: Margaret K. McElerry Books.

Plot Description:

It is the eve of his eleventh birthday and Will Stanton notices that things around him are a little strange. The animals are acting funny, there was a strange man on the road, and his neighbor gave him an unexpected gift of a bronze circle with a cross in it to wear on his belt. Will wakes up on his birthday to find the outside of his home covered in snow, but the outside has changed, it no longer looks like it typically does, instead his house is on the edge of the woods. Will attempts to wake his siblings, but they keep sleeping. Will leaves his house to check out the snow. On his walk he sees that where his neighbor’s house once was is now a blacksmith shop, and his neighbor is a blacksmith. He is putting shoes on a black horse for a man dressed all in black. The Black Rider scares Will and he feels as if he shouldn’t trust him. The blacksmith advises will to get on a white horse that appears and he is taken by the horse to ornate wood doors. It is here that Will meets Merriman Lyon and the Lady and is told his fate. He is the seventh son of a seventh son and although he is only 11, Will is told that he is the last of the Old Ones, born to conquer the Dark. Will’s duty is the sign seeker and he must find all of the six signs (such as the one given to him from the blacksmith neighbor). As the days progress Will learns more of his fate, his powers, and sees that he can live in between time, moving from one era to another to find the signs. With the help of Merriman and the other Old Ones, Will must find the six signs and battle the Dark.

Review:

I really wanted to get into this book, but just as with the first book in the series, it didn’t completely grab me. I felt that it was a little slow at times and very dark. There was a lot going on and I often found myself confused. Aside from that, it is well written. Susan Cooper uses vocabulary above what one would typically find in a tween novel encouraging tweens to read up. I believe that my issues with the book have less to do with how it was written and more about me and what I look for in a book. I know plenty of people who loved this book as a tween and it is a Newbery Honor book, but I personally didn’t really enjoy it. In books about good versus evil, I prefer there to be more of a balance between the two. I felt that this book was overwhelmingly dark, I would have liked some relief from that as I read.

Genre:

fantasy, mystery

Reading Level:

Ages 9 - 12

Similar Books:

Harry Potter series; Over Sea, Under Stone series

Subjects/Themes:

good versus evil, family, siblings

Awards:

Newbery Honor Book

Character Names/Descriptions:

Will Stanton: Eleven year old boy, he is the seventh son of a seventh son, he is the last born of the Old Ones who are meant to conquer the Dark, he is the sign seeker

Merriman Lyon: Older man, Old One, assists Will on his quest to find the signs

Series Information:

This is the second book in Susan Cooper's "The Dark is Rising" series. This series consists of five books, one of which won a Newbery medal and one which received a Newbery honor.

Annotation:

On his eleventh birthday Will Stanton discovers that there is more in store for him in his life than he could have dreamed imaginable. His destiny is to be an Old One, the sign seeker, he must work with other Old Ones to defeat the Dark.

Little Audrey

White, R. (2008). Little Audrey. New York, NY: Farrar Straus Giroux.

Plot Description:
It is 1948 in Jewell Valley, a coal mining town in Virginia. Audrey is eleven and lives with her mom, dad, and three little sisters. The town is made up of all coal miners and their families. Audrey's mom comes in and out of a deep depression brought on by the death of Audrey's littlest sister four years ago. Audrey is recovering from a recent bout with scarlet fever where she very nearly died, this sickness left her very skinny and having to wear glasses. Audrey's father has a drinking and gambling problem and often leaves his family with no money for food. Audrey struggles to get by amongst the problems at home, bullies, and the hard life of living in a coal miner town. In the end, Audrey's life gets even harder when tragedy strikes her family and she realizes that she must work harder than ever to help her family.

Review:
This book was interesting to me because even though it is fictional, the story was written about the author's family. It is a true account of what her family went through in 1948 through the eyes of her eleven year old sister Audrey. It is a bittersweet story of a little girl dealing with friendships and the typical problems of an eleven year old girl, but also having much more grown up problems to deal with as well. Problems such as not having enough food to eat or bringing her mom out of her depression or hoping her dad doesn't spend all their money on alcohol. I enjoyed the book because my great-grandfather was a coal miner and the town my parents grew up in had company towns such as these nearby. It was interesting to read a first hand account of the lives of the coal miner families, it was obviously a very hard life.

Genre:
Historical Fiction

Reading Level:
Ages 9 - 12

Similar Books:

Subjects/Themes:
poverty, family, death, siblings

Character Names/Descriptions:
Audrey: Eleven year old girl, has three younger siblings, wears glasses and is skinny due to having scarlet fever, narrates the book

Annotation:
With a mother suffering from depression and an alcoholic father, Audrey, an eleven year old in 1948 in a coal mining town in Virginia, faces more than just the typical problems of a young girl growing up. Sadly, Audrey must grow up even faster as tragedy strikes her already suffering family.

The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963

Curtis, C.P. (1995). The Watsons Go to Birmingham -- 1963. New York, NY: Delacorte Press.

Plot Description:

The Watsons, consisting of Kenny (the middle child), Joetta (his younger sister) Byron (the oldest) and their parents, Daniel and Wilona are an African American family living in Flint, Michigan in the 1960s. The book is told from Kenny’s perspective. The majority of the book is Kenny recounting funny stories of the day to day lives of his family, the “Weird Watsons.” He and Byron don’t get along very well, his older brother is much too cool to hang around with Kenny. Some of the stories include Byron getting his lips stuck on their family car’s mirror while kissing his reflection when he was supposed to be scraping ice off of the car with Kenny. Another is about Kenny and his lazy eye and how he befriends Rufus, a new poor student just moved from the South. Kenny thinks that Rufus is his "saver", sent to save Kenny by taking all the attention from the bullies away from him, but when Rufus starts tagging along with Kenny, his plan backfires. A lot of the stories are about the trouble Byron gets himself into through playing with matches or getting his hair relaxed. Finally, his parents decide the best thing for him would be to take him to Birmingham, Alabama to spend the summer (and perhaps longer) with his Grandma Sands. The family readies their old car, the “Brown Bomber,” and prepares to make the trip to see their Grandma to leave Byron. With the upcoming trip, some discussion arises in the Watson family about the differences between their lives in Flint and those of African Americans living in Birmingham. Through his tragic experiences in Birmingham, including the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, Kenny faces a really difficult reality which only his older brother’s toughness can help him through.

Review:

I truly loved this book. I laughed out loud in parts and sobbed in others. It was incredibly written, especially seeing such a horrible act as the 1963 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham dealt with through a 10 year old boy’s eyes. Through Kenny’s descriptions and tales of his family you fall in love with the “Weird Watsons” seeing similarities between them and each of our own families. I love how the author starts off keeping the book very light and funny; as the family is preparing and then traveling to Birmingham he introduces some heavier subject matter, such as racism and the differences between Michigan and the South. Then, once in Birmingham the book takes a very serious and tragic turn with the bombing and the author takes the reader into a much deeper understanding of Kenny and the Watson family. The interactions between the family are funny and touching. The relationship between Kenny and Byron is very well written, that strange tug of war siblings have between loving and hating one another. I loved how the epilogue discussed that although this is a fictitious story, the bombing did happen and young girls did die, young girls like Joetta, who the reader had come to love while reading the book. This gives a very personal, real, and emotional meaning to the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing and the civil rights movement for the reader.

Genre:

Historical Fiction

Reading Level:

Ages 9 - 12

Similar Books:

Subjects/Themes:

Civil Rights Movement, Family, Siblings, 1960s

Awards:

Newbery Honor Book

Coretta Scott King Award

Character Names/Descriptions:

Kenny Watson: Kenny is the middle Watson child. He is ten years old and narrates the book.

Byron Watson (By): Byron is the oldest Watson child. He is a bit of a rebel and is the reason the family must go to Birmingham.

Joetta Watson (Joey): Joey is the youngest Watson child. She is very protective of her brothers.

Annotation:

The Watsons are an African American family living in Michigan in the 196os. The family decides to take a trip to visit family in Birmingham, Alabama. It is through this trip and one particular tragic even that the Watson children learn about the harsh realities of racism in the South and become even closer as a family.

Over Sea, Under Stone

Cooper, S. (1965). Over Sea, Under Stone. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace & Company.

Plot Description:
Barney, Simon, and Jane Drew are on vacation with their parents to visit their Great-Uncle Merry in Trewissick, a harbor village in Cornwall, England. In a game of exploration the Drew children uncover what appears to be an ancient map in the house their family is renting. As their rented house is burglarized, apparently in search of a map, it quickly becomes clear to the children that they are not the only ones in Trewissick aware of their discovery. They disclose the finding of the map to their Great-Uncle who lets them in on its history, dating back to King Arthur and dealing with the battle of good versus evil. They also realize that if they are able to decode the map, it will lead them to find the holy grail. Unfortunately, the evil forces within the village realize the children have the map and will stop at nothing to take it from them and find the grail themselves.

Review:
This is a great tale of good versus evil. Although it can be somewhat slow at times, the book can also be quite thrilling in parts. It is exciting to see the Drew children decipher the ancient map and stay one step ahead of the evil villagers after the grail. Susan Cooper uses vocabulary above what might be expected in a tween book, which encourages the reader to contextually determine the definition of these words. The natural curiosity of the Drew children along with the prompting of their Great-Uncle helps to lead the reader along with them on their adventure. The book becomes pretty scary in parts with the evil characters stopping at nothing to intercept the children in the search for the grail.

Genre:
Mystery, Adventure, Fantasy

Reading Level:
Ages 9 - 12

Similar Books:

Subjects/Themes:
Good versus Evil

Awards:

Character Names/Descriptions:
Jane Drew: Jane is the middle Drew child.

Barney Drew: Barney is the youngest Drew child.

Simon Drew: Simon is the oldest Drew child.

Merriman Lyon (Great-Uncle Merry, Gumerry, Professor): Merry is the Great-Uncle of the Drew children, but not by blood, he was a friend of their grandfather. He is a professor. He is an elusive character, always disappearing and no one really knows very much about him.

Series Information:
This is the first book in Susan Cooper's "The Dark is Rising" series. This series consists of five books, one of which won a Newbery medal and one which received a Newbery honor.

Annotation:
On vacation to a seaside village in Cornwall, England, Jane, Simon, and Barney Drew discover an ancient map dated to the time of King Arthur, which will lead them to find the holy grail. Along with their Great-Uncle, the children must quickly find the grail before the evil forces of the town beat them to it.