Little Brother

Cory Doctorow's Little Brother is a modern-day 1984 where Winston wins. It's a pretty simplistic book and obviously aimed at 14-20 year olds with the language and several gratuitous makeout scenes (2 ending in premarital relations). If the author could have stuck to the point it would have been a better book. It's about losing our rights in a society where government keeps telling people that the protection of life is more important than protecting liberty or the pursuit of happiness. It's got some really neat information on protecting yourself from intrusive government monitoring, but it's not worth bothering with. I had a professor who once said that even though there is plenty of good food that gets thrown away, we don't have to go to the garbage to eat well. I would not let kids read this.

Princess Ben

This book was a chance library grab. In general, I liked it. The plot was formulaic and predictable, but there are a couple things that made it different from other princess stories that makes it worth the read.
First, the main character, Princess Benevolence, is very real. She doesn't think she's a particular beauty, she's rather stout (chubby?), and she doesn't get along with the adult who's responsible for her. Pretty normal behavior.
Second, the adult that Princess Ben doesn't get along with doesn't have to be killed off, or put into jail. Instead, you find that the Princess Ben's perception of her has changed. The princess goes through a little journey of self-discovery and personal growth.

I thought the romantic part of the story was a little rushed at the end and not well done, but it was entirely appropriate for young adults and pre-teens. Nothing untoward here. In short, a simple, fairly enjoyable story for a young girl!

Graceling

I liked this book, but it had some scenes that I would not want my child reading. Gracelings are people born with particular talents, whether it be cooking, holding your breath, fighting or any number of other superhuman skills. Katsa is a feared and respected Graceling for her talent to kill. She meets another Graceling who begins to change her perception of herself and they are put up against a ruler who may be able to kill them both.

There is a scene of extramarital sex that is ...more I liked Graceling, but it had some scenes that I would not want my child reading. Gracelings are people born with particular talents, whether it be cooking, holding your breath, fighting or any number of other superhuman skills. Katsa is a feared and respected Graceling for her talent to kill. She meets another Graceling who begins to challenge her perception of herself and they are put up against a ruler who may be able to kill them both.

There is a scene of premarital consensual sex that is neither explicit nor titillating but also not difficult to discern what happened. The main character, Katsa, also has no interest in marriage and that comes up frequently in the book. Also, the bad guy is a sociopath and his behavior is disturbing. Definitely not for children.

The Magic Half

The Magic Half is a very quick read. It is the story of Miri who is the middle child stuck between two sets of twins. She feels un-special in comparison to her twin siblings who strike people as unique. While moping one day she finds herself sucked into the past and meets a girl her age who is in desperate need of her help. Now Miri just has to figure out how to help this girl and still be able to get back to her family.

I found this in the local bookstore. It was reviewed and recommended by one of the employees. I thought it was a fun little story but certainly not a classic. There is no particular lesson to be culled here, it's just a quick adventure. My 9 year-old daughter, Brynne, just read the book and she really liked it.

When You Reach Me

When You Reach Me pays direct homage to Madeleine L'engle's "A Wrinkle in Time". It is a quick read and a simple story that involves middle school kids. The main character, Miranda, begins to receive mysterious notes that appear to be preparing her for something that will take place in the future. The author of the notes is attempting to elicit her help in doing one thing and it seems like an odd request.

The story takes place in New York City and some of the surrounding characters are strange but there isn't anything particularly disturbing. One character, a homeless man, appears to be mentally unstable but doesn't do anything that would frighten a young reader.

I enjoyed the story. It's not a classic in the sense that I would take it with me to an island but it's a 3 star time-filler read if your child is looking for something to read.