Archive for April, 2010


20
April

Home on the Mississippi Delta: Lynn Rubright’s Mama’s Window

Tuesday | Filed in: Historical Fiction

Mama’s Window by Lynn Rubright (Lee and Low, 2005) tells the story of “Sugar” Martin, a young black boy who lives with his uncle in a Mississippi Delta swamp.  For as long as Sugar can remember, his mother has worked to raise funds for a stained glass window for the Sweet Kingdom Church.  Some think her idea is foolish, but she insists that the window is important, that beauty is important. 

After his mother’s illness and death, Sugar clings to his mama’s dream.  When he discovers that the church has used the money to pay for bricks instead of a stained-glass window, he is broken-hearted.  Will mama’s dream ever be realized? 

St. Louis storyteller Lynn Rubright does a wonderful job recreating early 20th century life on the swamps of the Mississippi Delta.  Loosely based on the childhood of minister and civil rights activist Owen Whitfield, Rubright’s story was inspired by her research for a documentary on the Missouri sharecropper protest of 1939 (which was organized by Whitfield).  I met Lynn Rubright at a recent Missouri SCBWI conference, and found her warm, funny, and utterly charming.  Her novel also charms with a sweet tale of family, hope, courage, and generosity.

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12
April

G.P. Taylor’s Graphic Novel: The Doppleganger Chronicles

Monday | Filed in: Action/Adventure | Friendship Stories

I’ll be honest.  I got this book exclusively based on the teaser quotes on the back cover:  “The new C.S. Lewis” and “Hotter than Potter.”  Wow! I thought. 

The first book in The Doppleganger Chronicles, The First Escape (Tyndale Press, 2008) introduces us to the Dopple twins, Saskia and Sadie, who have been abandoned at Isambard Dunstan’s School for Wayward Children.  Although their mother said she would return, the twins are now fourteen and she hasn’t returned.  Still they have each other to rely on.  That is, until the wealthy writer Muzz Elliott adopts Saskia . . . but not Sadie.   As Sadie joins forces with Erik Morissey Ganger (janitor and former orphan himself) in a scheme to reunite with her sister, twin Saskie unwittingly becomes embroiled in a dangerous conspiracy plot.  Soon all three are running for their lives. 

The tone of this book has a retro-Victorian feel akin to Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events.  However, this book is quite different in that it is illustrated like a graphic novel with Asian-inspired manga-style art.  Tyndale Press  calls these books “illustra-novellas–a new kind of book designed to enhance the reading experience for a visually oriented generation of kids, especially reluctant readers.”  Think half novel, half comic book and you’ll have an idea of what this book is like.

British author G.P. Taylor is a former punk roadie turned Anglican minister.  He’s also the New York Times best selling author of Shadowmancer.   This “illustra-novella” is a different style book than you might be used to, but well worth reading.

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4
April

Steampunk Fiction for Middle Schoolers: Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Sunday | Filed in: Action/Adventure | Historical Fiction | Science Fiction/Fantasy

Special thanks to my son, co-writer of this blog entry.

Steampunk fiction is a sub-genre of sci-fi “set in an era or world where steam power is widely used” (wikipedia).  Think 19th century Victorian England with a fantasy/sci-fi twist.  Scott Westerfeld’s steampunk novel Leviathan  (Simon & Schuster, 2009) is set during the beginning of World War I, and follows many of the historical events of World War I.  A big part of what makes this novel so interesting is that it mirrors familiar events yet turns them on their head with imaginative techno-creativity. 

Young Prince Aleks, son of Archduke Ferdinand, must flee for his life after his parents are assassinated.   He makes his escape to Switzerland in a steam-powered “Stormwalker,” a vehicle similar to a Star War’s AT-ST:                   

                                               

Deryn, the female protagonist, lives in England, a “Darwinist Power” which uses genetically altered animals to double as weapons.  For example, they have genetically altered whales so they can be used as giant airships–hence the name Leviathan.  Deryn wants to join the Air Corps which is barred to females so he disguises herself as a boy, gets accepted, and proves to be a top notch flyer.  Deryn is soon entrusted with a secret mission, which grinds to a halt when the Leviathan is shot down in Switzerland.  Suddenly Deryn and Aleks’ fate rests on each others’ shoulders. Leviathan is a great book about trust and friendship in unlikely circumstances.

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