Midnight Magic by Avi

Midnight Magic by Avi is a middle grade novel of excellent quality. 

Fabrizio is a young boy who is servant to a sleight-of-hand magician, Mangus,  in 1491 Italy.  In an age of superstition, sleight of hand looks like real magic.  Mangus has already been tried for demonic magic and put under house arrest.  Suddenly, a knock at the door on a stormy midnight brings Mangus and Fabrizio into the King's stronghold.  He is ordered to free the princess from the haunting of a spirit she claims is the ghost of her murdered brother.

The story goes on with Fabrizio overhearing things he can't tell, being told things under oath of secrecy, losing his way and finding his way through secret passages, and finally, helping Mangus to raise the spirit of the missing prince.

I can't tell you much more without ruining the story.  I think even an adult will enjoy this tightly-twisted tale told by an expert storyteller.

Kathi Linz

The Treacherous Teddy by John J. Lamb

If you like a fast-paced mystery not streaked with too much gore, or if you like mysteries and teddy bears, you might want to pick up one of John J. Lamb's Bear Collector's mysteries.

The Treacherous Teddy has one police car side-swiping, one stolen car, one murder/hunting accident (?) by arrow through the heart, one death by throwing off the balcony, one poacher desperately in need of a bath, one hotel kitchen staff serving poached wild meat, a realtor who is up to more than you might guess, an arson, a crusty old lady in a wheelchair, a teddy bear fair, and two amusement park executives. 

Odds are that unless you always solved the Perry Mason shows in the first fifteen minutes, you won't guess this one without cheating.

Hope you enjoy it.

Kathi

Writing for Children and Young Adults by Dr. Marion Crook

In Writing for Children and Young Adults by Dr. Marion Crook, you will find useful information for writing both fiction and non-fiction.  There is a discussion on having or not having a literary agent.  How to approach publishers and which publishers to approach are carefully covered. There are ideas for promoting your book once it gets published. Also included is a CD with examples, worksheets for completing your project, recommended reading lists and various forms.

Kathi Linz

25 Ways to Make Money Online by James Garton

If you think that making money online takes special skills (other than being able to use a computer competently) or that everything online is a scam, check out 25 Ways to Make Money Online by James Garton.

There are job ideas in here for full or part timers.  The opportunities have a wide range, so most people will be able to consider at least one online job.  Each listing comes with a description of the job and several websites where you can find out more or apply for the position.

Here are several of the possibilities: legitimate telecommuting jobs, blogging for profit, writing articles , freelancing, online auctions, ebook author, professional juror, manufacturers' representative, grant writer, and transcriptionist.  If you like the look of one of these or want to see the rest of the jobs listed in this book, come on in and check it out.

Kathi Linz

People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks was a very interesting book. The book follows the fictional character Hanna, a conservator of old books, as she stabilizes & studies the Sarajevo Haggadah, a real Jewish book that is over 500 years old. As Hanna explores the book, she finds various types of damage & small objects (such as an insect wing) which she takes to professionals she knows in order to have them identified. As she learns about each incident of damage or object, the story changes from that of Hanna to a story describing how that damage or object came to be in the Haggadah. Although Hanna doesn't know the exact stories, the reader learns not only the details of the damages or objects but also the stories of the people associated with them. The stories of the Haggadah start with the most recent one when the book survived World War II & proceed in reverse chronological order until the book was made in Spain & even before it was even bound. These stories were like mini-books in themselves--lengthy descriptions of the people & their circumstances, ranging from Sarajevo during World War II to Spain during the Inquisition.

 

I enjoyed this book mainly for its stories of the Haggadah's past, but Hanna's story as she worked with the Haggadah was its own story also. Instead of actually reading this book, I listened to the audiobook that was narrated by Edwina Wren. I admit that a lot of my enjoyment of People of the Book came from the narrator. Since Hanna, an Australian, tells her story in first person, the narrator is Australian so listening to her accent was enjoyable. Also, though, the narrator used several accents throughout the book as characters from Sarajevo, Italy, Spain, & more places appeared in the stories. I also enjoyed these accents used by the narrator. While listening to the audiobook of People of the Book made the book even better for me, the book itself is a good story, & I would definitely suggest it to anyone looking for a good historical fiction book.

2011 Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market by Alice Pope

I do not have the book in front of me at this minute, so I cannot properly attribute the writer of an article I found in the 2011 Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market by Alice Pope.

Although I have a published book, it has been 11 years since it was accepted and 9 years since it came out in print.  I wanted to read the articles in this Writer's Market so I could find out about the current needs of editors and agents.  The articles were indeed enlightening.

One article concluded that it is hard work to get a story in order for submission, it is hard to get published, and you probably won't be able to quit your day job.  I thought, "Well, that's encouraging." (Read that with some sarcasm.)  The oddest thing about the article was that it was trying to make all those difficulties sound like a good thing, a happy thing. 

I still plan to do some writing and submitting.  I did already know about those issues and have managed to get a foot in the door anyway.  So here's to finding gold in the rest of the book.

Kathi Linz

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

From September 24 to October 1, libraries everywhere will be observing Banned Books Week. Books banned (or challenged) will appear in library displays to encourage customers to free their minds and read a banned book. The Glass Castle, a memoir by Jeannette Walls is one such book. Challenged for its profanity, criticism of Christianity, accounts of sexual abuse and prostitution, it is the amazing story of an unusual family.

 

Jeannette, a brother and two sisters grew up in an ever-changing environment. Moving from town to town, the family often “skedaddled” in the middle of the night. They camped in the mountains and in deserted desert towns. They slept in their car and in cardboard boxes

 

Jeannette’s father, Rex, was brilliant, a dreamer and an alcoholic. Her mother, Rose Mary, a would-be artist, preferred creating a painting to cooking a meal for her children. Both father and mother had an unconventional attitude about childrearing. The four Walls children basically raised themselves. Jeanette was three years old when she was seriously burned while cooking her own supper.

However, the children learned to read from their father, who also left them with dreams of a “glass castle.” Their upbringing was both a curse and a blessing. Cursed with embarrassing situations, like having to wear shoes held together with safety pins. Blessed with the desire to move forward and better themselves.

 

Walls was a respected journalist before writing The Glass Castle, revealing the truth of her childhood after twenty years of hiding her past. The “challenged” situations in her memoir are part of her history and need to be told. Despite poverty, fire, embarrassment, and near starvation, she tells the touching story of the Walls family with honesty and love.

 

Jane Kaufman

101 Weird Ways to Make Money by Steve Gillman

I didn't put the whole title in the heading.  It goes like this:  101 Weird Ways to Make Money: Cricket Farming, Repossessing Cars, and Other Jobs with Big Upside and Not Much Competition by Steve Gillman.

According to the introduction, this author has tried many of the jobs in this book or ones similar to them.  Did you know that there is a viable market for selling maggots?  Maybe you have a clean gene.  How about diaper service or crime scene clean-up?

Want a green business?  There's information on solar-roasted coffee, recycling electronic waste, and old oil-tank removal.

Are you computer savvy?  Maybe you can sell virtual real estate in game worlds or buy and sell domain names.

It seems like there is something possible for almost anyone in this book.  I noted a couple I thought were especially relevant to my skills, but not maggot farming.  lol

Kathi Linz

Write a Marketable Children's Book in Seven Weeks by Shirley Raye Redmond and Jennifer McKerley

I've read a LOT of books on how to write books, especially children's books. If you want clear, concise, easy-to-understand directions, then pick up Write a Marketable Children's Book in Seven Weeks by Shirley Raye Redmond and Jennifer McKerley. Very practical, very simple, lots of good illustrations and samples.

Kathi Linz

Starting from Scratch: A Different Kind of Writer's Manual by Rita Mae Brown

Lately, I've thought about doing some more writing, so I picked up a couple of books by writers on how to write and sell your work. 

The first one I read was Starting from Scratch: A Different Kind of Writer's Manual by Rita Mae Brown.  It really does have some different ideas.  No other writer's manual that I've ever seen talks about physical exercise as a way to improve one's writing.  Actually, she has several good points in that chapter.

I'm not so keen on the chapter that says that I need to learn Latin to write well.  I have an excellent grasp on the roots of many English words, be they Latin-by-way-of-France, Greek, Spanish, Germanic, or Native American.

I especially will not follow her advice about using a fountain pen or Selectric typewriter instead of a computer.  No editor would take the manuscript. This book was written in 1988.

Rita, how about an update?

Kathi Linz

Flight to Heaven: A Pilot's True Story, a Plane Crash...a lone survivor... a Journey to Heaven-- and Back by Capt. Dale Black

I liked Flight to Heaven: A Pilot's True Story, a Plane Crash...a Lone Survivor... a Journey to Heaven-- and Back by Capt. Dale Black better than 90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper. 

Dale Black's death or near-death experience changed him for the rest of his life.  As many of these stories are, this is as much about the accident and recovery period as it is about heaven.  In Dale's case, he becomes an airline pilot and a mission pilot in Africa.  You find out about an emergency landing in Zambia years after Dale's near-fatal crash when the entire country is in blackout conditions and the airport is shut down.  He and the members of his team are immediately arrested and spend the night witnessing to their jailers.

I found this book to be very satsifying. 

Kathi Linz

How to Make Money Using Etsy by Timothy Adam

In the book How to Make Money Using Etsy by Timothy Adam you will learn how to market your crafts online. 

Etsy is a website devoted to handmade crafts.  If you love what you make and the people around you tell you to get out and sell your stuff because it's so wonderful, then Etsy might be the right marketplace for you.  You don't have to go out in the weather and set up a tent or pay craft fair booth fees.

Besides all the good information on setting up your store, Mr. Adam gives you information on marketing techniques inside and outside of Etsy, ways to draw people to your stuff. 

In eight interviews with top sellers given at the end of the book, you will find out everything from time management to shipping tips.  Even photography techniques are discussed. 

This book is a foot-in-the-door for anyone who hopes to make a living selling their crafts.

Kathi Linz

The 4-Hour Body by Timothy Ferriss

The complete title is The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman by Timothy Ferriss.

Please note that the author does NOT have any intials behind his name.  He is not a doctor and makes no claims to being a medical professional.  What he does claim is that he has regular contact with sports people and coaches of all kinds.  These people, probably more so than doctors, are on the cutting edge of what works.

If you want to lose some weight, if you want to gain some muscle, if you want to increase your energy levels, this book will give you several ideas.  Some of the ideas will sound familiar, like vegetables and lean protein are good for weight loss.  Others might surprise you, like taking a cold shower will help you lose weight because the body has to work harder to get its temperature back up.

If you want some new ideas, this might be the book that will help you find a different way to get where you are going.

Kathi Linz

Around the World In 80 Days by Jules Verne

At 11:00 AM, on Friday, July 15, the Fantastic Fictioneers (JCPL's Book Discussion Group) will talk about Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days.  Imagine "The Great Race" in 1872. Travel by rail, steamer, and elephant - yes, elephant - move our globe-trotting heros along.

Englishman Phileas Fogg, a wealthy, strong, silent type and his newly hired man-servant Passpartout are off on their adventures. A journey, not for sightseeing, studying foreign cultures, or enjoying local customs but on a bet.  Phileas Fogg has wagered 20,000 pounds (2.11 million in today's dollars) that traveling around the world could be accomplished in 80 days.

Mr. Fogg has the trip planned to the hour and he, along with Passpartout, set out on October 2, 1872. Their goal is to return to London by December 2, eighty days later. Unknown to Fogg, a Scotland Yard detective is following them. He believes Fogg matches the description of a London bank robber and is escaping the country with his haul from the bank.

Fogg, Passpartout, and the detective are met with adventures - or rather misadventures - that are dangerous, exciting, and often comical. Especially enjoyable is their journey across the United States including encounters with bison and Native Americans.

My only disappointment was that the travelers never used a hot air balloon. That means of transportation  was created by Hollywood in the 1956 movie adaption of Verne's book.

Enjoy the book! Learn about world customs, geography, and history. Get to know two of the most quirky characters in literature.

Jane Kaufman

The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland by Jim DeFede

In August, the Fantastic Fictioneers will take on a nonfiction book called The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland by Jim DeFede.  It sounded like an interesting book, so I picked it up.

On 9-11, 2001, there were 4546 civilian aircraft over the United States and over 250 planes over the ocean when American airspace was shut down because of the attack on the World Trade Center.  Canada took in the international flights of which 38 planes landed in Gander, Newfoundland.  The town of about 10,000 people took in 6,595 passengers, housed, fed, and clothed them for 4 or 5 days. 

By the time the "plane people" got off their planes and went through customs with nothing but their carry-on luggage, they were bused to various area shelters, given clean sheets, towels and new toothbrushes, were fed, showered (often in residents' homes), and, in general, made to feel like they'd suddenly come home.

The book mainly tells the story of a few families/individuals and their experiences during what became a continental crisis.

I found out that 9/11 ripple effect had far-ranging effects.  I found out that there are still places in the world where people treat strangers like family.  It made me want to visit Newfoundland someday.

Kathi Linz