MMGW - Throwback Thursday Edition #1: The Agony of Alice

Author: Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
First Published in 1985 by Aladdin (Simon & Schuster inprint)

Life, Alice McKinley feels, is just one big embarrassment. Here she is, about to be a teenager and she doesn't know how. It's worse for her than for anyone else, she believes, because she has no role model. Her mother has been dead for years. Help and advice can only come from her father, manager of a music store, and her nineteen-year-old brother, who is a slob. What do they know about being a teen age girl?

What she needs, Alice decides, is a gorgeous woman who does everything right, as a roadmap, so to speak. If only she finds herself, when school begins, in the classroom of the beautiful sixth-grade teacher, Miss Cole, her troubles will be over. Unfortunately, she draws the homely, pear-shaped Mrs. Plotkin. One of Mrs. Plotkin's first assignments is for each member of the class to keep a journal of their thoughts and feelings. Alice calls hers "The Agony of Alice," and in it she records all the embarrassing things that happen to her.

When I was looking for a couple of Throwback Thursday reads for our Magnificent Middle Grade Week, I wanted to read something I had never read before. The librarian in the children's room at my local library was very helpful in pointing out a few series that I missed in the 80's. The Agony of Alice first came out in 1985, so it was probably "too young" for me since I was in high school by then.

I really enjoyed this book. Alice reminded me of myself at age 11. Embarrassing things always seemed to happen to me and I was always wanted to disappear. Alice lives with her father and older brother who have no clue how to relate to a girl. Her father calls her "Al" and her brother doesn't know that jeans come in girls sizes as well as boys. Her relationship with her family makes for some amusing scenes, such as the time a younger Alice asks her brother what a period is after hearing some older girls talking about theirs. He tell her it looks like a comma without the tail and goes at the end of a sentence. That had me cracking up.

Alice learns a lot about being yourself over the course of her sixth grade year. She also learns that the outer package may be beautiful, but the inside can be very ugly. Not everything that is good comes in a pretty package. I think that any middle grade age girl would enjoy this one. Even though it was written in 1985, it is still relevant to today. They will be able to relate to the social awkwardness and pains of being a tween.

The Agony of Alice is the first in a series that follows Alice McKinley from middle school through high school. There are 3 "prequels", as well, that have Alice in elementary school. A visit to her website showed that Ms. Naylor is still writing Alice books and has 2 or 3 more planned. I like the idea of a series that a young girl can read as she moves from sixth grade through high school along with Alice. I know that the later books, when Alice is in high school, deal with more mature subjects. But, from what I can see by the synopses, they are subjects that a lot of high school kids deal with every day. I also found that the "Alice" series has been on the list for top 10 most challenged books in the 1990s and into the 2000s. Just that alone makes me want to read them all!

If you missed this series, give it a shot. If you are worried about content, read them before passing them on to your daughters. As I always say, use your own discretion.

-Kari

Magnificent Middle Grade Week: The Throne of Fire (The Kane Chronicles #2)

Author: Rick Riordan
Publisher: Hyperion Books (May 2011)

Ever since the gods of Ancient Egypt were unleashed in the modern world, Carter Kane and his sister Sadie have been in trouble. As descendants of the House of Life, the Kanes have some powers at their command, but the devious gods haven't given them much time to master their skills at Brooklyn House, which has become a training ground for young magicians.

And now their most threatening enemy yet - the chaos snake Apophis - is rising. If they don't prevent him from breaking free in a few days' time, the world will come to an end. In other words, it's a typical week for the Kane family.

To have any chance of battling the Forces of Chaos, the Kanes must revive the sun god Ra. But that would be a feat more powerful than any magician has ever accomplished.

First they have to search the world for the three sections of the Book of Ra, then they have to learn how to chant its spells. Oh, and did we mention that no one knows where Ra is exactly?

The Throne of Fire is the second in the Kane Chronicles. I also enjoyed the first one, The Red Pyramid, but I liked this one better. I felt like I was getting less of a history lesson and more adventure. That was my biggest complaint about The Red Pyramid. This time around, Sadie and her Brother Carter Kane must find the god Ra and prevent Anubis from entering the mortal world.

I felt like the kids grew into their own in this one. Their relationship with each other became stronger. I loved Sadie. She is like a breath of fresh air. She says it like it is and her thoughts often caused laugh out loud moments for me. Carter isn't as full of personality, but he is slowly growing on me. Along with many of the same characters from the first book, we are introduced to a few new faces. I thought they brought a freshness to the story. Walt was just too sweet for words and Bes was a great god. I would love to see a drawing of him in his Hawaiian shirt and speedo.

The Throne of Fire is more serious than The Red Pyramid. The siblings face more loss in this one. While sad, the loss is necessary to give them strength for the battle ahead. It is also filled with many battles as in the first one. The end of the book does give some resolution, but there is also a cliffhanger of sorts. I hope the next book comes out soon to see if Sadie and Carter can save the world and put the selfish gods in their places.
I feel this series is very similar to the Percy Jackson series, which I loved. There are battles, selfish gods, and children who must battle evil to save the world. Despite that, I am enjoying it. I wouldn't call this a stand alone novel. There is a lot of back story in the first one that I think is necessary for this one, so I recommend reading them in order.

I think any Middle Grade reader who is a fan of Percy Jackson will enjoy this series as well!

--Kari

Magnificent Middle Grade Week: The Orphan of Awkward Falls

by:  Keith Graves
published by:  Chronicle Books
published date:  September 28, 2011

When thirteen-year-old Josephine moves to Awkward Falls she can't help but snoop around the dilapidated mansion next door. She finds a little more than she bargained for when she is captured by the strange characters who live there: an ancient automaton who serves as a butler, a cat patched together with a few odd parts, and most surprising of all, a boy named Thaddeus Hibble. Meanwhile, the most feared patient in the Asylum for the Dangerously Insane is on the loose. Fetid Stenchley has escaped in the most dramatic fashion, and there is only one thing on his mind...revenge. Unfortunately for Thaddeus and Josephine, he's headed their way. Can these unlikely friends stop Stenchley before he destroys them all? Full of hilariously spooky details, surprising twists, and haunting black and white illustrations, Keith Graves delivers a suspenseful and engaging first novel. Inspired by the classic tales of Frankenstein and mad scientists, with a splash of contemporary technology, the wonderfully tense action and gory descriptions will hook boys from the start, while Josephine provides a clever and unique heroine that girls will adore.

I will admit from the very beginning I only read the first 100 pages of this book.  I got a copy of it at ALA thinking that my 4th grader might like it (or the 6th grader down the street).  I started reading it first for MMG Week.  I'm glad I did. 

In the first 100 pages there were a bevy of reason why I don't think I'd want my daughter to read this book until she was older, if at all.   It starts off in an insane asylum for criminals.  Fetid Stenchley is not only a murderer but he's a cannibal as well and after an open skull electric shock treatment that is witnessed by dozens, he escapes.  Josephine moves to the same town that this is going on.  The her first night she's taken against her will by a robot to the basement of a strange boy that does Frankenstein like experiments. 

The recommended ages of this book are 9-12.  I personally don't think cannibalistic murderers are appropriate for children of that age range. 

Magnificent Middle Grade Week: Reel Life Staring Us

by:  Lisa Greenwald
published by:  Amulet Books
publish date:  September 1, 2011

Rockwood Hills Junior High is known for the close-knit cliques that rule the school. When arty new girl Dina gets the opportunity to do a video project with queen bee Chelsea, she thinks this is her ticket to a great new social life. But Chelsea has bigger problems than Dina can imagine: her father has lost his job, and her family is teetering on the brink. Without knowing it, Dina might just get caught in Chelsea’s free fall.



I'm going to confess that I really liked this book.  I'm a 30 something grown woman and I read this book in one sitting because it was so cute.  I really liked Dina. 

This would be a great book for a girl heading into middle school or a girl moving to a new school in middle school.  It talked a lot about trying to fit in at a new school. 

I didn't find anything in this book objectionable from a parental standpoint.  The one thing that was a little bit iffy was that the kids in this book were obviously obscenely rich.  $300 for a pair of jeans?  Does anybody actually pay that?  That was the only thing that sort of raised my eyebrow, but that was it.

Magnificent Middle Grade Week: Wonderstruck

Since school has either started or is about to start for all the little munchkins out there, we decided that we would do a week of Middle Grade books.

First up is Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick.  It's going to be published on September 13th by Scholastic Press.

Set fifty years apart, two independent stories—Ben's told in words and Rose's in pictures—weave back and forth with mesmerizing symmetry. How they unfold and ultimately intertwine will surprise you, challenge you, and leave you breathless with wonder.

Ever since his mom died, Ben feels lost.
At home with her father, Rose feels alone.

He is searching for someone, but he is not sure who.
She is searching for something, but she is not sure what.

When Ben finds a mysterious clue hidden in his mom's room,
When a tempting opportunity presents itself to Rose

Both children risk everything to find what's missing.



First off, don't let the size of this book intimidate you.  It's over 600 pages, but well over half of those pages are illustrated.  Many of the pages with writing on them have very little writing on them.  It was actually a very quick read. 

I really liked this book.  I happened to really enjoy how the two stories entertwined.  It was very clever.  I liked the way Rose's story was told almost entirely in pictures.  It was an interesting technique.  The illustrations in this book were wonderful.

From the viewpoint of a parent I didn't have any concerns about children reading this book.