Catch as "Cat" can...

TITLE: Cat Burglar Black

AUTHOR: Richard Sala

REVIEWED BY: JPL TeenLink

BRIEF SUMMARY: Trained from an early age as a cat burglar, orphaned teenager K Westree is sent to ramshackle Bellsong Academy by a group known as "The Obtainers," who need to hone her skills so that she can solve a mystery surrounding her past and that of the school.

WHY I PICKED IT UP: I've read several of Richard Sala's other graphic novels and really enjoyed them.

WHY I FINISHED IT: One thing about Sala's books -- the art might not always seem terribly impressive at first glance, but the story gets you. And once the story gets you, you begin to see how the art really plays into the whole feel of it.

WHO I'D GIVE IT TO: People who like graphic novels, mysteries, or stories where girls are the heroes.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: This book seems unresolved -- there are several plot points that aren't cleared up. However, I believe Sala is intending for this to be the first book in a series, so hopefully they will be picked up in later books. Also, all of Sala's work is a little dark (think Charles Addams or Edward Gorey -- and if you don't know who they are, please take the time to check them out, too), so if you don't like that sort of thing, this might not be for you.

See you at the library!

The people in your "Neighbor"-hood...

TITLE: The Good Neighbors series (Kin, Kith, and Kind)

AUTHOR: Holly Black ; illustrated by Ted Naifeh.

REVIEWED BY: JPL TeenLink

BRIEF SUMMARY: Rue is your typical sixteen year old. Except her mother's disappeared. And her father is accused of murdering one of his students. And oh yeah, she sees things that may or may not actually be there. She's starting to see faeries, and what's more, she has reason to believe that her maternal grandfather -- whom she's never met -- might actually be one. Something big is about to happen that could threaten her friends, her father, and her town -- but can she do anything to stop it?

WHY I PICKED IT UP: It was new to the library. It looked interesting to me while I was cataloging it.

WHY I FINISHED IT: Although the Faerie-fantasy books have never really interested me, the story kept me going for the most part. A bit of confusion set in during the second book, and it could have used more explanation.

WHO I'D GIVE IT TO: Young adult (and adult) readers who like the Faerie-fantasy genre.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: This is a graphic novel, so if you don't like those, you'll want to stay away. The art work alternates between stunning and confusing. Distinct character design should easily differentiate the faeries from the humans, but to tell the truth, many of the humans looked "faerie"-like and vice versa. Still, if you like this sort of thing, you will easily look past that.

All in all, I can't help but feel that this one might have worked better as a regular novel first, then a graphic novel adaptation later. The second book got kind of confusing with so many characters and plot lines going simultaneously, but I was able to keep up by going back every once in a while to remind myself who was who and what was going on. Two or three characters appear out of nowhere and are immediately appropriated as important plot points, but you have no idea who they are when they first appear. Again, it would definitely have benefited from more plot and character development if space had allowed.

See you at the library!

BONE Update...

Remember our review of Bone? No? Well, go read it and we'll wait.

Seriously, go ahead. No hurry.

Dum-de-dum-de-dum...

(Hums. Twiddles thumbs. Cleans fingernails.)

Okay? Back? Read it? Good. We'll continue.

You'll notice that the review said:

Due to its size (1300 pages! -- but believe me, they go fast) and some content that might frighten the younger kids, this book is currently located on the adult side of the library...

Well, things have changed a little. In addition to the original 1300 page one-volume edition, we've been able to buy the the much more manageable 9-volume series, and we've placed these in the Young Adult section. So now you can take the series a piece at a time and enjoy it in all its full-color glory. (That's right, the individual volumes have color illustrations instead of the black and white ones in the one-volume edition.)

Color pictures or not, I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Read it now, before Hollywood tries to make a movie out of it.

See you at the library!

I've got a BONE to pick...

How do you begin to describe Bone?

It's a graphic novel, true. But it's not your typical superhero or "comic" novel. There is comedy, and there are heroes, but there is so much more. "Epic" doesn't even begin to describe it. Think Lord of the Rings meets Star Wars and The Marx Brothers and you might be close. But still...

Bone was originally published over 13 years. The library's copy is the "One Volume Edition", collecting all 55 issues into one volume. It's big, it's heavy, and I wouldn't read it any other way.

Jeff Smith's story centers around three cousins: Phoney Bone (the greedy, conceited one), Smiley Bone (the fun-loving, goofy one), and Fone Bone (our hero), who become lost in The Valley after they are run out of Boneville following one of Phoney's disastrous schemes. While trying to find each other (and the way home), they meet up with a wide cast of characters including the mysterious Thorn, her enigmatic grandmother, and a smoke ring-blowing red dragon who may or may not be a figment of Fone Bone's imagination.

As they make their way through The Valley, they encounter other humans and bizarre creatures who are threatened by the Lord of the Locusts, a dark and menacing figure from the past. Fone Bone is soon drawn into the events around him and finds himself on a hero's journey to help save the world.

Do the cousins find each other again? Can they avoid the Rat-creatures and help save The Valley from an ancient evil? What will happen to Thorn and her grandmother? And what about that red dragon?

Due to its size (1300 pages! -- but believe me, they go fast) and some content that might frighten the younger kids, this book is currently located on the adult side of the library (Call Number: 741.5 Sm), but is certainly suitable for anyone that could handle, say Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith, the Harry Potter movies or The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Even if you don't care for "comic books", I encourage you to give it a try. If you like fantasy (Tolkien, Harry Potter, the Narnia series, etc.), then you are definitely in for a treat.

(If you like this book, there is also a prequel called Rose, but I recommend you read Bone first, lest a very important plot point be spoiled for you.)

Check it out...

Coming soon ... to a bookshelf near you!

According to the Internet Movie Database, there are a lot of movies in production or scheduled for release based on books you might already be familiar with. Many of them can be found in our collection, and quite a few are in our Young Adult section.

Note that not all of these movies are scheduled for release soon (some are almost two years away, and others have just been announced). Also, don't take this list as an endorsement of these movies; this is just to let you know what's on the way.

Everyone always says "the book is better than the movie", so take the opportunity to read these books now before the movie comes out!

Click the links for more details...

• Twilight by Stephenie Meyer [book] ... [movie]
  
  
• The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis [book] ... [movie]
  
  
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling [book] ... [movie]
  
  
• A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray [book] ... [movie]
  
  
• The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi [book] ... [movie]
  
  
• Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne [book] ... [movie]
  
  
• Inkheart by Cornelia Funke [book] ... [movie]
  
  
• Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 by Ann Brashares [book] ... [movie]
  
  
• The Giver by Lois Lowry [book] ... [movie]
  
  
• Septimus Heap: Magyk by Angie Sage [book] ... [movie]
  
  
• Maximum Ride by James Patterson [book] ... [movie]
  
  
• The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien [book] ... [movie]
  
  
• Marley and Me by John Grogan [book] ... [movie]
  

Wow. That's a lot to look forward to! And that's not counting the upcoming movies based on comics/graphic novels (such as Iron Man, the new Incredible Hulk movie, or Batman: The Dark Knight), or the hundreds of other movies already released based on books (like The Golden Compass, The Lord of the Rings and the other Harry Potters).

So if you want to read the book before you see the movie, give the library a chance. If we don't have it, we can usually get it for you in a week or so through Interlibrary Loan.

We'll be happy to do all we can to make sure you get to read the books you want!