King Arthur Movie Tristan

title: Dael and the Painted People (Book 3 in the Zan-Gah Series)

author: Allan Richard Shickman

genre: young adult fiction

published: 2011

pages: 155

first line: To dream of a head dripping with blood and look into its glazed and lifeless eyes might, even in sleep, leave the dreamer changed and chastened.


source: ARC copy sent by publisher for review


rated: 3 out of 5 stars

A prehistoric adventure, this is the third of the Zan-Gah young adult books. When Dael, guilty and tormented, came to live with the tribe of the painted people, he longed for peace and restoration; but without knowing it, he made a powerful enemy. Luckily, Dael had friends-including a troop of crows-and his own mystical powers. The disturbed and violent hero learns from the Children of the Earth, and from his submissive wife, a new way of life that is peaceful and generous. Dael and the Painted People is a story of conflict, healing, hate, and love by the winner of the Eric Hoffer Award, a finalist for the ForeWord magazine Book of the Year Award, and the Mom's Choice Gold Seal for Excellence in a family-friendly book series.

About:

Dael and the Painted People is the third installment in author Allan Richard Shickman's Zan-Gah books.


I read the first two books in the series, Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure and Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country, with my daughter last year and we enjoyed them.




The series, set in prehistoric times, revolves around the lives of two young brothers, Zan-Gah and Dael.

In this third installment, a now young adult Dael sets off in search of the Painted People, a rival tribe Dael feels he must join.
Alongside Dael is the shy, mute girl Sparrow. When Dael and Sparrow find the Painted People, the tribe welcomes them as their own.



The Painted People are a peaceful tribe, governed by the females in the group.
Dael being traumatized when he was younger and held captive for years, has a tendency towards aggressive behavior. Although Dael misses his brother Zan and his clan, living with the Painted People and Sparrow has calmed his spirit. He is well liked in the group. However, Dael has made one enemy, the elder shaman named Shnur.
Shnur sees Dael as his rival, a newcomer who wants to take his spot as the tribe's healer and shaman.

Shnur's hatred of Dael stems from jealousy.




My thoughts:



Dael and the Painted People picks up where Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country left off.

I was curious to see what would happen to these characters. This third book centers mostly around Dael and Sparrow.

I enjoyed reading about the Painted People and their customs. I found it a nice twist that although Sparrow is mute, she can speak the Painted People's language easily, since it consists of clicking noises.
We get to meet a few new characters in this third installment as well.




Author Allan Richard Shickman creates a prehistoric world and weaves a coming of age story within it. The characters and story lines are well written and entertaining. There's action and adventure in these books, and the prehistoric setting makes the perfect backdrop. The Zan-Gah books are fun reads for all ages. My daughter and I are enjoying this series.

There is a healing power in kindness, and Dael began to mend.
p.35

About the author:

Artist, teacher, author, and historian Allan Richard Shickman was an art history professor at the University of Northern Iowa for three decades. His first novel, Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure, won an Eric Hoffer Notable Book Award, and was a finalist for the ForeWord magazine Book of the Year Award. The series, including Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country, received the Mom's Choice Gold Seal for Excellence in family-friendly literature. Dael and the Painted People is the third of the Zan-Gah book series. He has also published articles in English Literary Renaissance, Studies in English Literature, Notes and Queries, Colby Quarterly, Art Bulletin, and Art History.

title: Those That Wake

author: Jesse Karp

genre: YA science fiction/dystopia

published: March 2011/ARC

pages: 329

source: Amazon Vine


first line: Mal looked in the mirror and saw a road map of mistakes.


rated: 2 1/2 out of 5 stars









About:

Those That Wake takes place in a dystopian New York City where an event called the Big Black has changed everyones lives forever.



This is a world where MCT (Metropolitan Counterterrorism Taskforce) watch everyone with special x-ray goggles. A giant black dome covers most of Manhattan, concealing nobody really knows what.



Everything is done via cellphone, and society is almost zombie-like as everyone walks around with their heads held down, eyes glued to their cell phones, sadly not unlike our world today. Even fast food is ordered via cellphone so no one really has to have any kind of human contact.

Nothing is private anymore, people and their personal information can be tracked down via their cell phones and credit cards, again not unlike our world today.


We get the story from the perspective of four people.

Mal is in search of his brother who awoke him in the middle of the night with a call for help. Laura's parents go missing and when she finally tracks them down, they do not know her. Mike is an disgruntled inner city teacher. Remak is a government agent. Teens Laura and Mal seem to have literally lost their identities, their loved ones and families do not have any recollection of them.


When these people all come together, they find that their lives are intertwined.
All of them have had similar strange occurrences happen to them in the past few days.
They all try to figure out what is going on and who is behind it.




My thoughts:

I've got mixed feelings about Those That Wake.



I really wanted to enjoy this book more. The cover is cool, the premise sounds good, I was in the mood for good dystopian fiction, but for some reason, it fell flat for me. The story seemed to grab me and hold my attention for a few chapters in the beginning, then it veered off and I lost interest. I'm stubborn and don't usually give up on books, so I read this one through.


I enjoy vivid descriptions when reading and I feel dystopian New York City has soooo much potential. I wanted to read about a gritty, grimy NYC, yet it was vague and at times confusing.



Now, what I liked was that there were elements of both science fiction and horror in the plot. The characters themselves were interesting. I liked that Mal was a street fighter and a foster child, you root for him from the start. Mal and Laura's characters and story lines were by far the most interesting in the book.


This is one of those books that you have to read all the way through to be rewarded with answers. The ending did give me some answers as to what was going on, but sadly I didn't really enjoy this one much.
That's not to say someone else might not love it, Those That Wake did get some good reviews on Amazon.com.

They came to the Eastern edge of Manhattan where the huge gray dome shone dully, like a bug's carapace. Its bloated body, the size of a tidal wave, loomed over everything and looked as if it were preparing to swallow buildings whole.

The creature's shadow spread across the surrounding neighborhood, and the air smelled of something nauseatingly metallic.

p. 204

title: Forever


author: Judy Blume


genre: young adult romance

published: 1975

pages: 192

source: randomly bought a copy at Target last week

first line: Sybil Davison has a genius I.Q. and has been laid by at least six different guys.

rated: 3 out of 5 stars

The saga of Katherine's and Michael's love is a joyous one, filled with all the wonder of "the first time." They meet on New Year's Eve and become completely involved with each other. It's an idyllic affair—until they're separated that summer...

About:

I always felt that Judy Blume is one of those authors I missed out on. I never read her as a teen and didn't even find out about her until I was an adult. Well, I guess it's better late than never.




The story starts off with Katherine and Michael meeting at a New Years Eve's party. The two are seniors in high school. Michael has a date to the party, but Katherine catches his attention and he winds up getting in contact with her the next day. The two begin to date. Michael has slept with one girl already, where Katherine is a virgin. The couple want to have sex, but Katherine is hesitant.



When they do finally sleep together, the two are in love and think they will be together forever. Katherine's parents are concerned because she begins to try to change her college plans in order to be situated closer to Michael. He is the only thing that matters to her. They make her go to a summer camp and work for a few weeks during the summer after senior year, hoping it will get Katherine's mind off Michael for a while.



Meanwhile Katherine's fellow classmate becomes pregnant. No shocker there, see the first line quoted above.
Katherine's best friend Erica, is in a relationship as well, and has issues of her own to deal with.





My thoughts:

It's funny because now that I read this as an adult and mother of a teenage son, I
was almost weary of what Katherine and Michael would do.

After I caught myself being judgemental to Katherine's behavior, I stopped myself.
I focused more on Katherine and Michael's storyline and tried to remember what it was like being that age when hormones are running rampant.


There's a few things going on in the story with Katherine's best friend, her sister and her classmate as well. You get to see different issues these teenagers are dealing with.


Although this is technically classified as young adult romance, I'm old-fashioned and I think due to the graphic sexual scenes, this one is for ages 17 and up.




Judy Blume's writing is frank and open as the characters in this story discuss and have sex. I do think she does a good job at writing teenaged characters.

On the way home I thought, I am no longer a virgin. I'll never have to go through the first-time business again and I'm glad-I'm so glad it's over!

Still, I can't help feeling let down. Everybody makes such a big thing out of actually doing it. But Michael is probably right-this takes practice. I can't imagine what the first time would be like with someone you didn't love.

p. 98

Katherine and Michael are doing things that teenagers reading might have wondered about, but were too embarrassed to ask. In reading this book, teens reading might have actually learned something helpful, that Planned Parenthood will give free birth control pills for instance.


Then again, this book was published in 1975 way before the Internet was readily available for anyone seeking questions about anything.
Nowadays, teens reading this one might just find it old-fashioned or think it's even tame compared to what they already know about sex.

title: Running Around (and Such): Lizzie Searches for Love

author: Linda Byler

genre: YA fiction/amish families

pages: 345

published: 2010

source: sent for review by publisher

first line: Lizzie Glick noticed the change in Dat one evening when he came in from checking things over at the pallet shop one last time before bed.

rated: cutesy

Lizzie Glick longs to fit into her quiet Amish community. Her sisters, Emma and Mandy, are ready to get married and settle into the traditional rhythm of having children and keeping house. But Lizzie isn't sure that's what she wants for her future. It isn't that Lizzie doesn't want to stay Amish. It's just that there's so much to figure out!

Running Around (and Such): Lizzie Searches for Love is the first book in a three book series by author Linda Byler.
The story is centered around fifteen year old Lizzie Glick and her Amish family.
The family is about to move from their home in Jefferson County to a new home in Cameron County. The reason for the move being that Lizzie's Dad is giving up his business and becoming a cow farmer instead.


Lizzie lives with her 'Mam' and 'Dat', her twin baby sisters and her sisters Emma and Mandy. She is outspoken and dislikes housework and farming.



This book is mainly a coming of age story. Strong willed Lizzie struggles to fit in and she has views and ideas that differ from her parents and her Amish upbringing.
She doesn't want to marry a farmer and she wants to wear nice clothes and high heeled shoes. Lizzie is self conscious like any teenage girl her age. She feels like she's not pretty enough and not thin enough and won't fit in at her new hometown and school.

Lizzie felt mixed up. A part of her wanted to live here, to try new and strange things, but another part of her clung to Jefferson County. She felt as if everything secure was being taken away from her, and there was nothing to do but let go.
p.23

She gets herself into silly predicaments, such as stepping into wet paint and having a cow mistake her blond hair for hay. Lizzie argues with her Mom like all teens. She was whiny and would have temper tantrums here and there throughout the story and that annoyed me. There are flashbacks throughout the book as well, where Lizzie brings up childhood memories and in these memories, she tended to be whiny too.



Against her will, Lizzie winds up having to be a maud or a maid for another Amish family. Her parents think it will do her good to learn some responsibility and earn her own money. When Lizzie finally turns 16 she begins what the Amish call 'running around', or going out to social gatherings on weekends with other Amish teens. Once she starts running around, Lizzie meets some interesting boys and wonders who will be her husband one day.



Running Around is definitely a stretch for me. I've never read anything remotely Amish related. When I was first contacted about a possible review, I was interested in this book because I've never read anything like it and it did seem like it would be a fun, light YA read.




Running Around was an okay read. I'd say it is good for readers ages 11-14.


I think teens any older than that would not be able to relate to Lizzie, unless they are Amish themselves.





You get a view into the Amish lifestyle as the girls bake with their mother and sew their own clothes. Included at the end of the book are Lizzie's favorite recipes from the story, like Apple Pie with Crumb Topping and Chicken Stew, which I thought was a nice touch.

This was a light, fluffy read. It was definitely 'cheesy', but I expected that.
I didn't love this book, but I didn't hate it either.

The title 'Running Around' doesn't really suit the book too well, since Lizzie doesn't actually start to run around until towards the end of the book.
The ending leaves the book open for the next installment in the series.





About the author:

Linda Byler grew up Amish and is an active member of the Amish church today. Growing up, Linda loved to read and write. In fact, she still does. She is well known within the Amish community as a columnist for a weekly Amish newspaper. Linda and her husband, their children, and grandchildren live in central Pennsylvania.






Special thanks to Julie over @ FSB Associates.

title: Twilight

author: Stephenie Meyer

pages: 498

published: 2005

genre: young adult paranormal romance

first line: I'd never given much thought to how I would die-though I'd had reason enough in the last few months-but even if I had, I would not have imagined it like this.

rated: 4 out of 5






Ahhhhhh....Twilight. There's a little of everything I enjoy in this story. Vampires, romance, rainy days.


I thought it was about time for a re-read of one of my favorite books.



17 year old Bella Swan moves to a small town called Forks in Washington to live with her father Charlie. Bella is socially awkward, sometimes moody and unsure of herself.
When she meets the mysterious and achingly beautiful Edward Cullen, she is instantly taken by him.




As usual when I re-read a favorite book, I pick up on little details that may have escaped my attention the first time around. For instance, I never liked Bella in the series but she didn't start to annoy me until the second book. Upon re-reading Twilight, she annoyed me right away. She's very defensive, childish and way too clingy with Edward.

So why do I love this book, though I dislike one of the central characters? Edward Cullen.

He's gorgeous, rich and aloof. I like how Edward has that dangerous edge to him as well.



For me Twilight is a fun, romantic read, not too be taken to seriously or analyzed too deeply, but definitely enjoyed. It's pretty much one of my guilty pleasures. I am a Twilight fan and I will openly admit it. I like vampires who sparkle in the sunlight and have honey colored eyes dammit.

And for the record, Robert Pattinson does not look anything like the Edward I envision while reading the book. The Edward I envision is divine.




I enjoy reading Bella describe Edwards beauty page after page. Here's just a few ways she describes him:

I was in danger of being distracted by his livid glorious face. It was like trying to stare down a destroying angel.

-pp. 65

or how about:

He was too perfect, I realized with a piercing stab of despair. There was no way this godlike creature could be meant for me.

-pp.256

ok, this had me giggling like a teenager with a schoolgirl crush:

"The blush on your cheeks is lovely," he murmured. He gently freed his other hand. My hands fell limply into my lap. Softly he brushed my cheek, then held my face between his marble hands.


"Be very still," he whispered, as if I wasn't already frozen.

-pp. 275

One of my favorite scenes in the book is when Edward takes Bella hiking in the woods on a rare sunny day and reveals that he glistens in the sunlight.

Edward in the sunlight was shocking. I couldn't get used to it, though I'd been staring at him all afternoon. His skin, white despite the faint flush from yesterday's hunting trip, literally sparkled, like thousands of tiny diamonds were embedded in the surface. He lay perfectly still in the grass, his shirt open over his sculpted, incandescent chest, his scintillating arms bare. His glistening, pale lavender lids were shut, though of course he didn't sleep.


-pp. 260

So there you have it. Twilight remains one of my favorite reads. I like the romance between Edward and Bella. I also like the Edward's vampire family as well as the idea that they don't harm humans. Meyer touches on some of their backgrounds and how they came to be vampires and I always found that to be an interesting part of the series.




I'm glad I re-read it and probably will again someday. I should also say that I enjoyed the first three books in the series, but was dissapointed by the fourth and final installment.

title: Cosmic

author: Frank Cottrell Boyce

genre: young readers age 8-12

pages: 313

published: 2008

firs line: Mom, Dad-if you're listening-you know said I was going to the South Lakeland Outdoor Activity Center with the school?


rated: 4 out of 5 stars

Liam has always felt a bit like he's stuck between two worlds. This is primarily because he's a twelve-year-old kid who looks like he's about thirty. Sometimes it's not so bad, like when his new principal mistakes him for a teacher on the first day of school or when he convinces a car dealer to let him take a Porsche out on a test drive. But mostly it's just frustrating, being a kid trapped in an adult world. And so he decides to flip things around. Liam cons his way onto the first spaceship to take civilians into space, a special flight for a group of kids and an adult chaperone, and he is going as the adult chaperone. It's not long before Liam, along with his friends, is stuck between two worlds again--only this time he's 239,000 miles from home. Frank Cottrell Boyce, author of MILLIONS and FRAMED, brings us a funny and touching story of the many ways in which grown-upness is truly wasted on grown-ups.

Liam Digby is a 12 year old in the 7th grade who looks like he's a 30 year old adult.
This can be interesting for him since he's a curious kid who tends to get himself into trouble. When adults mistake Liam for an adult himself, he tends to not correct anyone.


When his principal thinks he's the new teacher on the first day of school, Liam doesn't bother correcting her. When he goes to a car dealership with his best friend Florida, and gets mistaken for her father, then is nearly allowed to take a test drive, he doesn't bother correcting the salesman. Liam is usually mistaken for Florida's dad and the two of them just go along with the charade.



Liam always ends up getting caught in the end and drives his parents nuts. But when he somehow gets himself and his friend Florida on a spaceship, there's big trouble and he finds himself in outer space with no way home.



The story is told by Liam as he floats through outer space. He is recording himself on his cellphone on the spaceship and wondering how he will get out of the mess he is in. His dad usually gets him out of trouble, but Liam doubts his father will be showing up in space to rescue him anytime soon. He is aboard the shuttle with five other children, including his friend Florida and they were supposed to land on Earth hours ago. Liam was selected to be the only Dad on the trip. When things go awry, he tries to figure out how to get the spaceship back home safely.




The author captures Liam's voice very well as you see the story through this 12 year olds eyes.

It's supposed to be more fun being a grown-up. That's why I swapped being a kid for being a dad. What's the point in forfeiting your childhood if all you get for it is filling forms?


pp.114 Cosmic

Liam is instantly likable as is his friend Florida. Sometimes it's amusing the way adults think he is an adult, how easily they judge him on a first appearance.
Then again, you feel sad for him. He keeps being told 'You should know better, big lad like you' by adults.



I liked Liam's descriptions of being in space. There's even an appearance by astronaut Alan Bean.

There are more stars than there are people. Billions, Alan had said, and millions of them might have planets just as good as ours. Ever since I can remember, I've felt too big. But now I felt small. Too small. Too small to count.
pp.293 Cosmic

I enjoyed Cosmic. I found this to be a quick read, the writing flows and the story is charming and sweet. There are flashbacks within the story but they weren't distracting.
I'd recommend this one if you're in the mood for a light and sweet read. This is considered a book for children age 8-12, I think it's more for 10 and up.
This is also a great father/son read.

title: Incantation

author: Alice Hoffman

genre: YA fiction

published: 2006

pages: 166

first line: If every life is a river, then it's little wonder that we do not even notice the changes that occur until we are far out in the darkest sea.



rated: 4 out of 5









I'm a fan of Alice Hoffman's work, especially since reading Practical Magic and The Ice Queen.
I picked up Incantation several months ago, and being busy with other reads, I put it down and never got back to it. I didn't want to give up on it though, so I picked it up again and this time around I found myself being immersed in this story.



Incantation is a story about a 16 year old girl named Estrella deMadrigal, and the long hidden secret she finds out about her family. The family lives in a little village in Spain around the
1500's.




Estrella's nickname is Raven, for her long black hair and her best friend Catalina is nicknamed Crow. The two girls are inseparable, until they get a bit older and Catalina's jealousy over Estrella's beauty and possessions emerges.


Estrella falls in love with Catalina's cousin Andres. The love is kept secret because Catalina herself plans on marrying him one day.

You can't tame something that doesn't want to be tamed, any more than you can make someone love you. All you can do is wait and see what will happen.

Estrella knows that she and her family have special names, secret ones only used in their home, hers being Esther. She also knows that in public her family appears to be Christian, yet they have customs that are a bit different than most.



When she sees decrees that are placed in the town square, stating what to look for in order to find out who is a false Christian, Estrella starts to wonder if her family is hiding something from her. When she learns that her family is really Jewish, her whole world is rocked to its core.



The Spanish Inquisition is taking place and false Christians are charged with heresy, tried as guilty, then sentenced to death.

The day when the arrests began reminded me of the day of the burning books, when the air was filled with sparks, when something bad crept out onto the Plaza from the deep, evil place, something that would become so strong no one could catch it or beat it down or lock it away.

Soon Estrella's family is in danger and before she knows it her worst fears are coming true. Her grandfather, a doctor, is accused of practicing sorcery. Her mother, who uses herbs to heal, is accused of being a witch. Estrella must figure out what to do to help save her family and herself.




Incantation is a moving story. You get a glimpse of the horror during the Spanish Inquisition through a 16 year olds eyes. It's a story about love, betrayal and family. I think Alice Hoffman did a wonderful job writing about this tragic time in history. As usual her writing is beautiful and poignant. When I finished reading this book, I just sat back and thought about it. It's one of those books I won't soon forget.

I thought about how the soldiers had burned the books first. How the pages were like doves. Everything we knew condemned us, and our questioning condemned us most of all. Knowledge was the way of our people, and knowledge was dangerous. It was the thing that freed you and the thing that put you in peril. It was the key to the ten gates. I saw them clearly now, each and every one, the gates that were there for me. Ashes, Bones, Grass, Heart, Stone, Love, Sorrow, Blood, Earth, Sky.

As a novelist, I am constantly reinventing entire worlds. Every book is a new beginning, but as with Estrella, at the core of every novel are the themes closest to me: love and loss.
-
Alice Hoffman

title: Skellig

author: David Almond

genre: young adult fantasy

published: 1998

pages: 182

first line: I found him in the garage on a Sunday afternoon.

rated: 4 out of 5 stars







Michael is twelve years old, lives in his new house with his mom, dad and baby sister, who is very sick with a weak heart.
One day while in the garage in his backyard, Michael finds an odd creature, a man, with a squeaky voice, bugs crawling all over him and tattered clothes.

I thought he was dead. He was sitting with his legs stretched out and his head tipped back against the wall. He was covered with dust and webs like everything else and his face was thin and pale. Dead bluebottles were scattered on his hair and shoulders. I shined the flashlight on his white face and his black suit.

Michael tells his best friend Mina about his discovery, he wants to make sure that what he is seeing is real and not just his imagination. Mina is homeschooled and has a passion for William Blake's poetry, which appears throughout the story.


We later find out that this creatures name is Skellig and that he has wings. What he truly is or where he has come from, remains a mystery. He is clearly sick and Michael decides he needs to nurse him back to health.






Michael's baby sisters illness is always on his mind, and he feels as though when he feels his own heart beating, he can also feel the baby's. I loved the thought of that.

"They say that shoulder blades are where your wings were, when you were an angel," she said.


"They say they're where your wings will grow again one day."


"It's just a story, though," I said. "A fairy tale for little kids. Isn't it?"


"Who knows? But maybe one day we all had wings and one day we'll have wings again."

I enjoyed this book very much. There's that bit of creepiness to the story, due to the way Skellig is described. And there is also that mystery as to what this creature really is. He seems to be angelic, but has features and habits that go against how we might think an angel would be.



Michael is likeable right away, he has a kind heart. He wants to nurse Skellig back to health. He visits him and brings him food. The way he loves and worries over his baby sister is also touching. His baby sisters illness is a big part of the story, as are his parents and the way they deal with it.




All in all, a great read. Highly recommended.

Writing can be difficult, but sometimes it really does feel like a kind of magic. I think that stories are living things-among the most important things in the world.
-David Almond

Author Allan R. Shickman sent me two of his books, Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure and Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country for review. My daughter (10) and I have read both books together and enjoyed them. Read on for the reviews.







title: Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure.

author: Allan R. Shickman

genre: YA/children's/fiction

pages: 148

published: 2007

first line: From a long distance a traveler, or some wild thing, might see within the deep and absolute blackness of night an intense orange light which looked from afar like glowing coal.



In this first book, Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure, Zan, who is in his early teens, lives in prehistoric times. He lives with his parents in a tightknit clan. There has been a hunt called, for a lioness who has killed a child. The males of each clan are coming together for the hunt. By a stroke of luck, Zan kills the lioness. Zan was given the name Zan-Gah, meaning Zan of the Rock, because he was immovable in the face of great danger.

The youth's name was Zan, which in his tongue meant Hunter. He and his people had a language, but we no longer know it. It was spoken in an era so remote in time that there were as yet no nations upon the earth, no cities, nor written words.

Zan-Gah decides to set off in search of his twin brother, Dael, who went missing a year ago an is presumed dead. Dael set off to find the source of the river that is nearby their village when he went missing. Zan insists his twin is alive somewhere and wants to bring him home. So against his parents wishes, Zan sets off on the search, promising to return within a few weeks with his brother.

While on the search Zan grows into a man, taking care of himself and even invents the slingshot in order to hunt food. He meets other clans along the way and eventually discovers where his brother was taken. Over a year passes by the time Zan finds Dael, who is now emotionally scarred and not the same brother Zan remembers.

When Zan finally brings Dael home, tears of joy are shed and Zan is well respected, becoming a leader in his tribe. His invention of the slingshot helps his people. Zan unites the clans in order to fight against the tribe that tortured and held his brother captive for so long.




There are some interesting characters in Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure, and the story flows smoothly from start to finish. It's a fun story, and we both enjoyed it.

I like how author Allan R. Shickman describes the setting throughout.

What had been completely hidden from view until he had reached the top of the ridge was a lake, crystal, pure and beautiful as any dream. It was surrounded by lush trees, many of which, as in a garden, bloomed rose, snow white, and lilac, so that the air was fragrant with their nectar. Green with sap, a weeping willow bent its luminous branches toward the water to be reflected in its stillness; and a deer drank peacefully in the distance, unaware or unconcerned with Zan's presence. Halfway across, populated by a cluster of young white birches, was a small island at the shore of which stood a slender and statuesque white egret.

title: Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country

author: Allan R. Shickman

genre: YA/children's/fiction

pages: 151

published: 2009

first line: When Lissa-Na died, Dael wept real tears.





Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country takes up where Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure left off. Dael and Zan are both married and Dael is trying to get his life back together after being held captive and tortured. In this book you get more insight as to what Dael endured.

One morning Dael suddenly wakes Zan up and tells him he wants to find the source of the river that flows near their village again. Zan is worried about his brother and sets off with Dael, a few others follow them. They wind up in The Beautiful Country, which is where both Dael had been held captive for a while by the wasp people who lived there. Zan knows this country well since he too was held there for a year while searching for his brother. The country is still beautiful, with plenty of resources, but somehow the wasp people who lived there are all dead.

Zan and his clan decide to move their people to the Beautiful Country since it is now uninhabited. Though Zan-Gah and Dael are identical twins, they couldn't be anymore different. Soon enough, the clan begins to side with one brother or the other.

Many of Zan's number where frightened by Dael's violence and recklessness; but other men were drawn to exactly these qualities. Those who loved one brother began to hate or jeer at the other, and in time as they walked to their western destination, the Ba-Caro tended to divide into two groups-one circling around Zan-Gah and the other around Dael. It happend so gradually and so naturally that for a while the division went unnoticed.

Dael continues to exhibit angry behavior, and becomes almost obssessed with a volcano that is about to erupt nearby the Beautiful Country. Dael and his followers begin to worship this volcano and watch it daily. Meanwhile Zan is trying to keep peace between his people and another clan who threatens war.




I'd say the Zan-Gah books are coming of age stories for kids between ages 11 and up. The books are set in prehistoric times, which I found interesting. Again, author Allan R. Shickman does a great job describing the setting, we were especially interested when the clan runs into a mammoth during their trek in the second book.

The laborious, half-blind advance had not gone far when Chul, who was in the lead, motioned the train to stop. Just ahead, enveloped in fog and only faintly visible against the heavy, misty air, was the ponderous form of a mammoth. Its great domed skull, dark fur, and dangerous tusks would be seen close up, but at first it seemed almost as white as the surrounding vapor-a massive, monstrous blur.

Zan's adventures were fun to read about and my daughter and I enjoyed them. There were certain details that stood out and that she'd talk to me about later. For example, she thought it was both funny and gross that Zan's mom would chew goat skin until it was soft enough for Zan to use as a blanket. With a great plot and setting, and plenty of action, these books make for great discussions. Zan-Gah is instantly likeable, and as are a few of the other characters.

I will mention though, since these are books geared toward kids ages 11 and up, that in the second book, Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country, there are some bloody scenes. Not so much fight scenes, but passages describing hunts and killing animals. Dael's behavior is also disturbing since he is now bent on revenge against his captors and is violent. Nothing about these scenes however was offensive, and the author doesn't go into much detail during these parts, so I found it suitable to read to my daughter.










These are interesting reads and I do recommend them for tweens. Special thanks to author Allan R. Shickman for sending me these books. He does leave the second books' ending with room for a third book, and I wonder if he will continue the Zan-Gah books.

title: Just Ella

author: Margaret Peterson Haddix

genre: fantasy/young adult

pages: 218

published: 1999

first line: The fire had gone out, and I didn't know what to do.

rated: 4 out of 5





Just Ella starts off where the classic fairytale Cinderella left off. Ella is living in Prince Charming's castle and the two will be married soon. She's glad to be away from her wicked stepmom and stepsisters, but she does feel lonely. Ella wonders does she truly love Prince Charm? Is this what she really wants?

I was cold. I was lonely. I was engaged to be married in two short months to the most handsome man I'd ever seen-the prince of the land, the heir to the throne. But I had never felt so alone in all my life, not even shivering in rags in my garret the day they came to say my father was dead.

This was happiness?

Being that she has spent the past few years since her fathers death living as a servant in her own home, Ella is being tutored on how to be a proper princess.




One day during her lesson, her tutor has a stroke and nearly dies. Thanks to Ella's quick thinking, he is saved. His son, Jed, comes to the castle to tutor Ella instead. Ella and Jed hit it off right away and the two become friends. Jed tells Ella about the fairytale everyone believes has been her life. Complete with a fairy godmother, singing mice and a magic slipper. This story both amuses and irritates Ella. She is moved to tell Jed her true story, one that does not involve magic.



As time passes, Ella evaluates her true feelings. She simply wants to be free, to be her own person and live her own life.

If I'd learned nothing else from my life thus far, it was that you don't always end up where you think you're going.

This was a fun, light read. I think most girls can relate to Ella's character. She's smart, funny and independant. She doesn't wait for her Prince Charming to come and rescue her, she can take care of herself.



special thanks to serena for gifting me a copy of this fun book :)