Welcome to day four of the Mélanie Watt (US) blog tour! Our interview with Mélanie follows (by the way, this is our first author interview! What do you think? Please comment!).

Hip Librarian's Book Blog: Mélanie , what is your writing process?

Mélanie Watt: I usually start with an initial topic/idea about something I would like to talk about. Then I sketch out a character (animal) that reflects the characteristics of the personality that will help me express the idea. I come up with a style for the book and setting. Then I start to divide the story usually in 32 pages and assemble a book. I will go back over and over and make corrections to the pages and pacing. After, I usually illustrate the final art and then revisit the text with my editor and polish it up. It goes back and forth between the art and text through the whole process until I‘m happy with the result.

HLBB: What are your thoughts on the review process?

MW: I welcome reviews and opinions.

HLBB: How do reviews affect your writing?

MW:  It gives me good insight on how others can perceive my books, it’s interesting to me to be able to read about what aspects of my work stands out to reviewers, librarians, teachers, and kids of course!

HLBB: What review sources do you use/follow?

MW: I Google on my own and find interesting reviews and blogs about my books. Also, my publisher provides me with reviews that come from different places.

HLBB: Who do you read?

MW:  I love collecting kids’ books. I own hundreds of them from various artists and authors. To name a few Michèle Lemieux , Marie-Louise Gay , Mo Willems , Oliver Jeffers , Laurie Keller …all pictures books and the list goes on and on.
I wish I had more time in the day to read all the novels from the many talented authors out there. 

HLBB: How do you find out about new books?

MW:  Pretty much the same way others do, by visiting bookstores and reading reviews.

Thanks so much to Mélanie for taking the time to answer our questions!

Author Mélanie Watt and her friend Scaredy Squirel will continue on their blog tour through next week, and today, Thursday April 10,  they are also stopping by the Metrowest MA Regional Library System Blog. They will be answering questions asked students in Metrowest Massachusetts region, such as:

Q. Where did you get the name Scaredy Squirrel?-
A. I was looking for a named that meant: afraid and Scaredy sounded right to me.Also, I like how it sounds when it's pronounced!

Q. What book are you going to write next about Scaredy? -
A. I think it will be about Scaredy's fears at night.

Q. Why is Scaredy afraid of germs? -
A. Scaredy is mostly afraid of what COULD happen if he does gets germs; like catching a cold!

Want to read more? Visit the Metrowest blog at http://metrowestnews.blog-city.com/
 
Other stops on the Blog Tour:
Friday April 11
Mother Reader
http://www.motherreader.com
Topic: Mélanie Watt talks about Scaredy Squirrel

And next week, Melanie and Scaredy Squirrel appear on Canadian blogs:
Monday, April 14
KidsSpace Blog
http://kidsspace.torontopubliclibrary.ca
Topic: From nuts to seashells: The progression of Scaredy

Tuesday, April 15
HRM Parent
http://www.hrmparent.ca
Topic: Kid questions for Mélanie Watt

Wednesday, April 16
The Shelf Elf Reading Blog
http://shelfelf.wordpress.com
Topic: Mélanie’s creative process and how she relates to Scaredy

Thanks again to Mélanie Watt for appearing, courtesy of Raab Associates , and to Kids Can Press , for permission to use their banner.

 ***

Lina Mayfleet and Doon Harrow live in the city of Ember, where lightbulbs are the only source of light. They are surrounded on each side by total darkness and because they have no way of creating a movable light (i.e. a flashlight), no one has ever ventured out of the city. But Ember is beginning to fall apart: the blackouts are more frequent, the storerooms are almost empty and the generator, the machine that powers the city, breaks down constantly. When Lina discovers her baby sister chewing on an old piece of paper found at the back of the closet, she is intrigued and tries to piece the letter back together.  With the help of the serious and intelligent Doon, she deciphers the message and attempts to save the citizens of Ember from the impending threat of complete darkness and hunger.
DuPrau creates an intriguing post apocalyptic world in the city of Ember as well as likeable and sympathetic characters in Lina and Doon. However, she leaves a lot of loose threads: the subplot of the corrupt mayor is never resolved, and Lina seems to get over the death of her grandmother a little too quickly for comfort. Lina and Doon also suffer from the same loose thread treatment. We learn that Doon has an anger problem that gets him into trouble, but nowhere is this really addressed. Lina has a tendency to jump to conclusions which leads to disappointment, but nowhere does she have time to learn patience. Although it was a riveting read and the plot flows along at a tumultuous pace, these loose ends leave you feeling unsatisfied, as if you had only a sip of water to quench a great thirst. I would recommend this book to die hard fantasy and science fiction fans only.

Matthews, Elizabeth. Different Like Coco.  Candlewick Press, 2007. 32 pp.  ISBN 978-0-7636-2548-1. $16.99

More than anything, Coco Chanel's life story is a tale about using what you've got and and building on your strengths and resources. Schooled by French nuns, ambitious Coco, a charity case, learned early to emulate the bearing of the well-to-do so she could insert herself into certain circles to make smart connections. Matthews avoids the seemier aspects of Chanel's life, and accentuates the positives, like her challenging of social boundaries.

Told with charm, Matthews hooks readers fast with this rags to riches story. Vocabulary opportunities abound and will prompt dialogical reading. A quick scan of online biographies reveal some minor discrepancies, but Coco loved to invent stories, including about herself; it's no surprise there is not agreement on her date and place of birth, whether she wore her scissors on a ribbon or string of pearls, or if the item of clothing she hacked apart to make a cardigan was a pullover or a blazer.

The endpapers set a tone of unfussy style: black with high-contrast white script quotes from Coco about character: fashion, individuality, etc. Inside, the illustrations are a pen and ink and watercolors, done up in a cartoony style that manages to be lean, whimsical and elegant.  Careful attention to detail is evident in period clothing and cars. Mostly muted tones lend a squelched feeling the to book that undermine the vibrant personality described, though, the famously unique designer stands out from the crowd on every page.

A short timeline extends the biography by appending details such as fashion milestones (the debut of the little black dress, the first perfume bearing a designer's name) and the date of her death. A bibliography is book-centric, with only one Internet link to her Time Life biography. Recommended for larger collections.

Tune in here April 10 when the Hip Librarian's Book Blog hosts Mélanie Watt, author of the Scaredy Squirrel series (Kids Can Press). We'll ask Mélanie about her writing process, what she's reading, and her thoughts on book reviews. We'll post them here, and Mélanie will stop by and answer.

Mélanie Watt was born August 20th 1975. She resides in Montreal, Quebec. Her first book entitled Leon the Chameleon was created as an art project in 1999 while enrolled in an illustration class at the University of Quebec in Montreal where she specialized in Graphic Design.
 
She has been illustrating and writing children’s books ever since. A few of her book titles include: The Learning with Animals collection, Augustine, the Scaredy Squirrel series and the Chester series. 

Mélanie works simultaneously in English and French. Her books can be found around the world in many languages including Spanish, Catalan, German, Czech, Hebrew, Korean, Norwegian and Japanese.

Her most popular and award winning character Scaredy Squirrel; a neurotic little worrywart, has captured the hearts of many with its humoristic approach and cartoon style illustrations which both young and old can enjoy! 
 

"In the winter you come to the pit to warm your feet in the tar. You stand long enough to sink as far as your ankles - the littler you are, the longer you can stand. . . But in summer, like this day, you keep away from the tar . . . Ikky was tall, but she was thin and light from all the worry and prison; she was going to take a long time about sinking."

So begins the first story in this collection of short stories; this story's title is "Singing My Sister Down". Even before the story begins, you have a sense of unease about it, and the description quoted above only confirms your suspicion. But it is a wonderful story about family, and gives you a glimpse of what this society is like. As in every short story told here, a glimpse is all we are given. At times it feels like the world that is being described could be our own, as in the story of the elephant trainer, in "Sweet Pippit". In most of the stories, however, there is introduced an aspect of reality that is so fundamentally different from our own that it cannot possibly take place in the world we know. And yet the characters are all very human, and react to these strange, unsettling situations in the same way any of us would.

The beauty of this book is that each story opens the reader up to a different sense of what reality can be. Each story makes the reader question how they would act in the situation being presented. The stories are technically simple, yet very morally complex, making them an excellent choice for any teen who wants to think a little bit. Readers of fantasy and horror, as well as regular fiction, will appreciate these stories, as they offer something completely different than most teen books in these genres. Each of the tales stays with you for much longer than expected, as your imagination continues to work on the situation presented by the story. In this way, you are never finished with Black Juice.

Dial/Penguin, New York: 2008 ISBN 978-0-8037-3227-8 $16.99 408 pp 

* * * * 

Three juniors assigned to write about their "most excellent" year all choose the freshman year they became friends in this coming out/coming of age story that blends baseball, theatre, international politics, activism and Japanese interment. Told in a round robin style, motherless Anthony (a.k.a. Tick) is the lynchpin of the story - he and best friend Augie, a musical theatre fan, consider themselves to be non-biological brothers.  Augie directs the Freshman Follies and falls hard for a jock, who falls back while Tick crushes on Alejandra, who, ordained by her parents to attend Harvard and become an ambassador or diplomat, aspires to be a musical theatre star. The trio not only pull off a phenomenal stage shows, they also get a park at Manazanar dedicated to the teams that played there. Motherless Tick befriends a deaf orphan named Hucky who is convinced Mary Poppins is going to come and take care of him, and it is through the relationship he develops with Hucky that Ale sees him as something more than an impertinent Bostonian.

Kluger magnificently weaves together multiple storylines in this epistolary novel told in emails, instant messages, essays, conversations, and ephemera such as playbills, expertly revealing plot and character through these documents. It is evident that he has affection for his characters, as their personalities emerge strongly, revealing each teen in turn as clever, sensitive, introspective, passionate, confident, scared, and caring. Supporting adults are well-drawn -- Pop doles out advice to his son that only backfires, but his own romance brewing with Tick's school advisor is endearing and subtle. The suburbs of Boston and streets of New York take on a life of their own, through dialect and landmarks, that culminates in Tick's climatic trip to NYC to bring Hucky to meet his idol, Julie Andrews. Humor abounds, and balances out more serious issues. Augie's homosexuality is refreshingly viewed with nothing but support - in fact, all the characters "know" long before he officially comes out -- perhaps the obsession with divas of stage and screen gives it away.

A promotional website, http://www.augiehwong.com/, includes excerpts from the book and pages dedicated to clearing Buck Weaver's name from the White Sox's World Series fix, and bringing baseball back to Manzanar, two pet projects of Tick's. Although it is farfetched that plot events fall into place so perfectly, My Most Excellent Year is a story with so many moments of magic, it somehow works. My Most Excellent Year is sure to satisfy fans of Kluger's most excellent novel, Last Days of Summer, and please new readers across many ages.

 

 ***

Theodosia Throckmorton (Theo for short), the young daughter of the curator of the Museum of Legends and Antiquities in London, is very busy these days. The year is 1906, and the world’s western powers are busily excavating the treasures of ancient Egypt and hauling them across the ocean to their respective nations. Her parents, keen participants in this race for the world’s history, are classic workaholics, and if it weren’t for the fact that she was kept so busy de-cursing all the treasures in the museum, Theo would probably begin to resent spending so much time there. When her mother returns home from a long excavation in Egypt laden with treasures from an ancient pharaoh’s tomb, Theo is faced with an object bearing the most horrifying curse she had ever encountered, a curse that could destroy Britain if it is not placed back inside the tomb where it was found. Thus begins a fast paced mystery adventure full of secret sects, ancient curses, and possessed cats.

Written in the first person through the voice of Theodosia, LaFevers recreates the dark and gloomy streets of Edwardian Britain. An absent minded curator for a father, a globe trotting, adventurous mother and a little brother who likes to wreak havoc and who secretly wishes his sister didn’t treat him like mud, compliment the dry wit and intelligence of Theodosia herself. Although the plot sometimes hinges on too many coincidences, and some of the character’s motivation do not seem to be justified (for example, the head of the secret sect insists that it must be Theodosia who finds a way to get herself to Egypt and deposit the Heart of Egypt back in the tomb when he has a whole army of young men to do it), it is all in all a fun read, perfect for those who secretly harbor a desire to grow up to be Indiana Jones (like me).

This was one of those books that I could not put down, and that finishing was more difficult than usual. Octavia Butler is one of my favorite writers, who passed away last year, the same year that Fledgling was published. When I finished reading Fledgling, I knew that it meant I would not be reading anything new by Butler ever again. And that is such a depressing thought. Fledgling is a fantastic vampire story, Butler's first, and the world she creates would be wonderful to stay in for further reading. The culture that she develops for her vampires, who call themselves Ina, is very complex, and much more creative than any other vampire story I have read. It seems that she must have been planning on writing further stories about Shori and her world, but now we will not have the chance to read them. Regardless, Fledgling is a must read for any fan of Octavia Butler, and for any fan of vampire stories.
Fledgling begins when Shori wakes up, not knowing who, where, or what she is. The story is written in first-person, so we learn everything about the world as Shori does. The story follows her as she meets Wright, who becomes her first symbiont. In this world, these vampires do not turn humans into vampires. Rather, they live in a symbiotic relationship with willing humans. They are a species unto themselves, with their own culture, history, religion, and understanding of the world. And they keep themselves secret from all humans but those they live with in their symbiotic relationships. Shori creates a problem for some of these so-called Ina, because she has been genetically engineered with DNA from an African-American woman. This brings out the prejudice among some of the Ina against humans, and even against humans of a certain cultural background. How the Ina, and Shori herself, face this problem is the central aspect of the story.
Octavia Butler always deals with issues of racism and sexism, bigotry of all kinds, in her books. She is always able to give us a new way of thinking about these issues because she uses characters like aliens or vampires or things like time travel. Describing her work to someone who has never read it is difficult, but Fledgling is a good first book of hers to read. It is incredibly engrossing; like I said, I literally could not put it down. She gets you so involved in her characters lives, you just do not want the story to end. It is tragic that we will never read another story by her, but it is always beautiful to go back to those treasured favorites, and share them with friends.

This book still hit me like a train even though I knew what was coming. It’s hard not to be exposed to the news stories about teachers that are arrested for sexually molesting a student. You don’t necessarily hear about how it happened-or might not really want to know anyway. What Barry Lyga does in Boy Toy, is delve deep into Joshua, who was molested by his history teacher, Miss Sherman. What Lyga does so well is let the reader see how the circumstances of not only being alone with Miss Sherman led to some of the events, but how his family dynamics also played a role in allowing the relationship to continue. While it might be easy and comforting to point fingers at who was at fault and how was this able to happen, Lyga doesn’t make those choices terribly easy for us in a black and white kind of way, especially when Joshua carries the idea with him the he seduced her, “Hug me! I want to scream to her. Come hold me, goddamn it! It’s the only time I ever felt safe. The only time I ever felt loved, and even though it destroyed you, I want it again-I need it again now more than I need anything else in the world.” Subplots, including Rachel, who is attracted to Joshua, and wants to move him beyond what is past, his best friend Zik, who is there for him no matter what, Josh’s strained family relationship, and his therapist Dr. Kennedy, are all affected but help in their own way for Josh to find who he really is.

People notice different things. When I visited Australia, my friend and I pointed out to each other all the ‘avatars’ we saw walking around (people that literally had wings on and appeared larger than life). A friend I went to a bookstore and he got excited when the music the store was playing was something that he was learning to play on his guitar-I hardly even knew there was music playing, I was paying more attention to the book titles.

Miriam in Freak notices things that other people usually don’t. “I’ve never had very many friends. They just aren’t interested in things the way I am. Here’s an example. They like brushing their hair. I like looking at my hair under a microscope. You get the picture.” While Miriam faces the typical awkwardness of being in middle school; acne, falling in love with popular high schooler Artie, parents she can’t really talk to, there is always an underlying strength about her, that accepts and is aware that she is different.  Miriam’s nemesis is Jenny Clarke, who teases her and assaults her at school, on the bus, or at the many wild weekend parties she has at her house when Miriam isn’t even there. Taunts usually revolve around Miriam’s body not being fully developed and looking like a boy. One of the twists on the bully scenario is that Jenny and Miriam are a lot alike which is a theme throughout the book with people that Miriam seems on the surface to be polar opposites of. Noticing what no one else does, is ultimately a powerful gift that saves someone’s life at the end of the story, including her own.

While some things come together a bit too neatly at the end, especially her mother finishing her painting that’s taken her years at the same time Miriam finds her own strength, the reader sees the beauty in being a ‘FREAK’ and that in the town of Carlton, that might be your only ticket out. 

 

 In a small village in 17th century Iran, a girl's parents start searching for a suitable man for her to marry. But when her father dies unexpectedly, the girl and her mother lose all prospects of a comfortable life. They move to Isfahan to live with her father's half brother where they are treated little better than servants. Her uncle is a master carpet weaver in the employ of the shah and makes a very nice living. The girl (who remains unnamed throughout the story) is an excellent weaver in her won right and learns from her uncle. In the meantime, a man asks the girl for a sigeh, which is a contracted marriage. He asks for her for 3 months with the opportunity to renew, and pays her mother in a bag of silver. Being little more than a new sex toy, she learns the ways of sex and how to please a man while receiving pleasure in return. But when she finds her new best friend is to become his actual wife, the plot thickens.

I found this book to be a wonderful read. As a lover of historical fiction, I don't often read stories set outside of Western Society, so I was pleased to find this book so fascinating. The author includes beautifully drawn details of life in Iran, and how women were not powerless chattel they are treated as today. Yes, the women had to cover up from head to toe when going out, but they saw it as a freedom - no one knowing their identity, and they had the freedom to stare at whomever they liked. They also have these wonderful things called hammams - a bath house for women only where they were bathed, massaged, and groomed. And unlike a spa, they were affordable to most women.

The idea of a sigeh was interesting. At first, I thought it was a disgusting idea - basically an extended contract with what comes out to be a whore, and a way for a man to have power over a woman. But really, the woman did not have to accept the contract, nor did she have to renew. And it was explained that many times people (men and women alike) would take a sigeh as a second marriage. I still don't know what to think about it, but it was an accepted practice. I wonder if it still is today.

Beautiful writing, rich details, and a well told story made this book a very worthwhile read.

  Best friends Lissa Dragomir and Rose Hathaway are on the run from their boarding school St. Vladimir's Academy, hiding from the well-meaning but misguided Guardians of the school and the evil vampires the Strigoi.  Lissa is a Moroi princess, the last survivor of the Dragomir family, while Rose is a Dhampir, genetically half human and half vampire, and destined to be Lissa's Guardian.  Rose took Lissa from the Academy to protect her from mysterious forces that threatened from within.  When they are apprehended by the school's Guardians and forced to return to the Academy, Rose must do everything she can to protect Lissa, even if it means trusting her sexy and dangerous mentor Dimitri.

Mead provides a rich history for her characters.  She does a good job of portraying the complexities of the vampire society and the hierarchy within the Academy.  The popular students here really are royalty, but even the royals have their outcasts.  Most of the reader's questions are answered by the end of the book, and it has the feel of a standalone novel more than the first of a series.  The sequel Frostbite is due out in April 2008.

I wonder if I would have liked this more than Marked if I had read this first.  Dimitri is sexy, even though he is a Dhampir and not a vampire.  (Alas, no bloodsucking!)  Rose is a strong "bad girl"character, not as powerful, but more human than Zoey.  Marked is more of a dark fantasy -- you can feel the threatening atmosphere surrounding Zoey, but you're not sure what it is.  Vampire Academy is more like a mystery -- you know what the threat is, but you're not sure who is doing it or why.  Read them both!

Four and a half stars.

Book Divas, an online community/ book club for young adult and college readers, is having a month long author visit with guest Diva Jenny Downham beginning October 2nd to discuss her novel Before I Die. Join the conversation at http://www.bookdivas.com.

For those unfamiliar with Book Divas: Author Visits are the signature feature of Book Divas, which has been online since 2002. The community re-launched in 2007 and is growing at a rate of over 30% each month. HarperCollins has signed on for additional Author Visits for 2007. Ten percent of the proceeds from all author visits go towards Book Divas' own 'Writing Star' scholarship fund, which was created by Book Divas CEO, Leah Messina. The scholarship fund will assist in sending one high school senior with the intent in majoring in Writing or English to college in the fall of 2008.

Young Jim’s life is about to change due to  the abrupt arrival of an old sea dog named Captain Charles Johnson. And a good thing too, as the family inn has hit rough times. The pressure to sell to the wealthy community bullies, the Moehners (pronounced meaners) has become almost unbearable and everyday after school Jim must evade the Moehner dog, Grendel, who he strongly suspects to have been trained to attack him. Not only is the good captain skilled at subtly disarming the Moehners, he has hired Jim to be his errand boy for an extraodinary one dollar a day. On top of everything, he has promised to help Jim with his pirate essay. Thus begins an unusal friendship, interspersed by unusually riveting history lessons and adventures the likes of which will keep you at the edge of your seat.

William Gilkerson counterpoints a coming of age story with fascinating, historical tales of real pirates. Starting with Drake in the sixteenth century and wending his way through the centuries until he arrives at the demise of Blackbeard in the nineteenth century, Gilkerson posits the theory that there has hardly been any difference between governments and the brotherhood of pirates, a thesis that is not very popular with Jim’s teacher. Although there are moments of action and mystery (the Captain is a mysterious character who never divulges much of himself) I would not recommend this book to reluctant readers. But to avid  readers between the ages of 10-12 who love pirates I would not hesitate.

Tyler has always been a geek- until a graffiti prank makes him a legend and the physical labor required during his mandatory community service gives him muscles.  His new muscles attract the attention of popular Bethany Milbury, the "goddess" who just happens to be the daughter of Tyler's father's boss and the sister of Tyler's biggest tormentor, Chip.  While things are looking up at school for the start of Tyler's senior year, things are home continue to be volatile as Tyler's father's angry and explosive behavior keeps the family on edge.  Tyler's positive start to the school year quickly ends following a wild party in which pictures of a drunken, passed out Bethany appear on the internet and Tyler finds himself potentially facing felony charges of lewd behavior, forcible touching, sexual harrassment, sexual misconduct, voyeurism, and kidnapping.   As Tyler struggles to prove his innocence in an environment that has already deemed him guilty, he contemplates increasingly darker means of escaping his situation.  Tyler is an interesting, complex and very authentic character.  His narration is full of vulnerabilty and emotional anguish that conveys the struggles of a young man growing up and trying to find out for himself what it means to be a man.  Anderson has another slam dunk with Twisted- its haunting story, chilling scenes, and raw emotion will stay with readers long after the story has completed.

 

***

Part of the No Backbone! series on invertebrates, Gooey Jellyifsh presents facts about these spineless sea creations in clear short sentences, using analogies children will be familiar with, such as by defining size range from the size of a grape to the size of a person. Each two page spread contains text on the left with a photo on the right, and an additional fact or two in a bubble. The information is arranged logically, first introducing the concept of invertebrates, then talking about jellyfish specifically, covering variety, how they eat, and how they sting.

Gorgeous full color photos show the range of size and color of jellies. Some have labels but none are captioned, although there is a long list of photo credits on the verso of the table of contents.  Vocabulary related to marine biology appears in bold, and are fully defined with both pictures and text, in a short glossary. The index is complete in scope, and three other titles appear in a list of further reading. The author thanks a consultant from the New England Aquarium, but no sources are cited.

Although too brief to be very useful for reports (there are over 2,000 species of jellyfish, and only the most dangerous one is named) this is a solid introduction to the subject, and a website for the series offers more information, such as what to do (or not do!) if you find a jellyfish washed up on land, and also has games and activities teachers may find useful, such as a fact sheet and crossword puzzle. Recommended for larger collections.

*****

Written in an engaging narrative, Leardi draws the reader in with a scientist's account of discovering this thought to be extinct species. She backtracks to provide a little history, discussing the hunting of otter for fur that made southern sea otters believed to be gone forever. An explanation of subsequent efforts to such up a refuge along the California coast and the passing of laws enacted to protect sea otters from hunting and fishing, follows. Leardi brings the reader up to present day, when the largest threat to marine life is pollution, especially oil contamination. The final pages include a fact sheet on southern sea otters, and a page or two on other endangered sea animals. The narrative is uncommonly well written for a animal nonfiction book designed for school reports, with appeal for browsing readers as well.

Full color photos--at least two in each two page spread--catch sea otters at play, researchers checking the animals, and images of beach cleanups and sea otter predators. An excellent map shows the habitat of the species in the past and present. 

Words that may be unfamiliar appear in boldface and are defined, with pronunciations, in a glossary. The index is complete in scope, phot credits are listed, and there is a  brief bibliography and list of further reading. Recommended for large collections, or where reports on endangered species are de riguer.

 

 

****

Inspired by Leonardo's Notebooks, author Grey creates a portrait of the famous painter and inventor, imaginitively seen through the eyes of his faithful young servant Giacomo. Much of the plot concerns the completion of the painting of the Last Supper. The artist, two years past deadline, cannot pay his ever more impatient creditors, and shrouds himself and his motivations in mystery, while glib Giacomo is left to make excuses to merchants, to aristocrats, and to the clergy. Meanwhile, Giacomo is struggling to find answers to his own questions, too: why won't da Vince teach him how to paint?  What is the real reason for the delay of the Last Supper? And, most importantly, what is Giacomo's true parentage? 

Giacomo's voice is the major strength of this first novel. He recounts his adventures in 15th century Milan in a conversational way that makes the city come alive with sights, smells, and sounds. Historical details like what clothing people wore are woven into to a trip to the tailor shop. Giacomo's wide-eyed observation and participation on everything from the annual street fight between servants and apprentices to how paint is made draw the reader in.

Grey cleverly brings in details of da Vinci's real life, naming the servant Caterina after his mother, making his medusa-esque portrait a commissioned work that outrages the duke's mistress, and alluding to the legend that the same model was used for Jesus and Judas.

The book is aesthetically pleasing too. Sketches of da Vinci's decorate the verso of the title page, the cover has the look of an aged painting and the rough cut edges give an antique feel that fits the setting. Slip off the dustcover to reveal a print of the Last Supper to refer to as the denoument blossoms.

Even years after Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code (Doubleday, 2003), interest in the topic remains high; references to the infidelities within the Italian court and da Vinci's questioned sexuality may be too earthy for younger readers in spite of the accessibility of the story and engaging narrative. 

An author's note lists several text and web resources, and an excellent short film to promote the book is hosted at http://www.youtube.com/user/LeonardosShadow.

   When a tracker marks her as a fledgling vampire, Zoey Redbird is afraid her life is over.  It could be if her body rejects the Change.  As a vampire fledgling, she must attend the House of Night, a boarding school where she will learn to use and control her new powers.  But Zoey soon discovers that she is no ordinary fledgling.  She has been blessed by the vampyre goddess Nyx who wants Zoey to be her eyes and ears in the House of Night, where things are not as they seem. 

This book grabs you from the start and never lets go.  Zoey and her classmates seem more like witches than vampires because they use spells and rituals.  The House of Night is like any other high school with its popular cliques and an assortment of outcasts, and of course Zoey falls for the most popular guy with the catty ex-girlfriend.  Her new friends provide some much needed comic relief to an otherwise dark fantasy.  Best vampire novel since Stephenie Meyer's Twilight.  While Twilight is a better romance, this is a better fantasy.   Readers will be happy to know this is the first of a series.

Four and a half stars.

Life is looking pretty dreary for the orphans of the Windcity orphanage and cheese factory. They work excruciating shifts producing the most foul cheese on the earth (2 ounces make you hallucinate, 3 ounces will kill you) and to top it all off  they must subsist on a diet consisting solely of porridge. Yes, things are pretty grim. That is, until the arrival of the notorious orphan Hamish X...

The first novel for Canadian funny man Sean Cullen, Hamish X and the Cheese Pirates is told in the voice of the main protagonist (who will not hesitate to tell you that he is fully certified by the Narrator's Guild of Helsinki) and includes many absurd and hilarious footnotes. In the course of the book, Hamish X, along with his trusty orphan sidekicks Parveen (an unsmiling, socially inept genius from India) and Mimi (a feisty, loyal Texan), escape from the orphanage, survive the arctic and kick some cheese pirate butt. Although this book is worth reading simply for the gut-busting footnotes, the plot is action-packed. The mystery of Hamish X is left unresolved, paving the way for future volumes (in fact, the sequel has already been released).