Bibliophile's Corner

A Drop of Night
by Stefan Bachmann

Amazon Description:
Seventeen-year-old Anouk has finally caught the break she’s been looking for—she's been selected out of hundreds of other candidates to fly to France and help with the excavation of a vast, underground palace buried a hundred feet below the suburbs of Paris. Built in the 1780's to hide an aristocratic family and a mad duke during the French Revolution, the palace has lain hidden and forgotten ever since. Anouk, along with several other gifted teenagers, will be the first to set foot in it in over two centuries.

Or so she thought.

But nothing is as it seems, and the teens soon find themselves embroiled in a game far more sinister, and dangerous, than they could possibly have imagined. An evil spanning centuries is waiting for them in the depths. . .

My Thoughts:
This multi-genre novel by Stefan Bachmann was recently released and is full of mystery and intrigue. I'm a big fan of Mr. Bachmann's MG novels and was happy to see his eloquent & creative style carried over to his debut YA novel. A Drop of Night is one of those books that you just can't put down due to its fast-paced plot and cliff-hanger chapter endings. I highly recommend this novel to readers aged fourteen & up.

Click here to learn more about author Stefan Bachmann.

Storyteller's Journey

Photo Credit: Public Domain

Books Can Be Stepping Stones

Childhood can be an extremely challenging phase for youngsters - I know it was for me. During that time of "ups & downs" reading novels can be a lifesaver for a young person.

When I began reading as a child I had no idea how impactful my love affair with books would be on my own development as a person. I was so enthralled with reading A.A. Milne, Gertrude Chandler Warner, Carolyn Keene, and later, Louisa May Alcott, Charles Dickens, and numerous other authors, that it wasn't until I was a college graduate that I realized how important being a bookworm had been. Reading all those novels, by a wide variety of authors, had aided me in navigating the challenges of adolescence & young adulthood. It was as though each book had been a stepping stone across the turbulent waters of my young life. When I completed one book, I went right on to the next. I believe it was no coincidence that my reading increased during the most challenging of times. It was as if the protagonist in each novel was a mentor and friend. A friend that I was able to lean on.

I remember one particularly difficult time in my "tweens" because I can vividly recall reading Nancy Drew - The Clue of the Whistling Bagpipes with tears streaming down my face. I wished with all my heart I could be somewhere else...like Scotland. I would even go see the mountain Ben Nevis, just like Nancy did. Little did I know that many years later - in 2014 - I would have my picture taken near the base of Ben Nevis.

No one can tell me that children's books aren't extremely important!

That one little book made such an impact on me that I read every Nancy Drew book ever written. As an adult, I collected the entire series.

Nancy Drew Books with yellow spines.

I believe writing books for young readers is one of the most powerful things a person can do to help improve our society.

Some well-meaning people might say, "That's great that you write children's books, but how does that help improve our society?"

Since I'm not only a reader and a writer, but a parent, I can tell you that getting a child's heart into a book is the best way to get his head thinking about something other than himself. Yes, well-written books help develop a child's imagination, which in turn helps develop intellect, but ultimately what we all need in our society is more souls who look out for one another. Hopefully the next generation will be more compassionate, kind, and generous. If a book includes a character &/or plot that leads a child in that direction, it's a winner as far as I'm concerned.

While reading exciting and entertaining novels will bring strength and joy to a child, hopefully some well-written children's books will do even more. They might just act as stepping stones for the next generation, providing them with the courage to help make the changes that are so needed in our society.

Whimsical Word of the Week

Doyenne - (n.)
a woman who is the most respected or prominent person in a particular field. Example: For years Martha Stewart was considered the doyenne of domesticity.

Bibliophile's Corner

Pax
Written by Sara Pennypacker
& illustrated by Jon Klassen

Flap copy Description:
Pax and Peter have been inseparable ever since Peter rescued him as a kit. But one day the unimaginable happens: Peter's dad enlists in the military and makes him return the fox to the wild.
At his grandfather's house three hundred miles away from home, Peter knows he isn't where he should be - with Pax. He strikes out on his own despite the encroaching war, spurred by love, loyalty, and grief, to be reunited with his fox. Meanwhile Pax, steadfastly waiting for his boy, embarks on adventures and discoveries of his own..

My Thoughts:
Pax is a deeply moving and thought provoking middle grade novel by Sara Pennypacker. Its compelling story about the bond between a boy and his rescued fox is brought to life with exquisite character development and heartfelt dialogue. Even more than that, it brings to light issues of war, peace, love and loss. This masterpiece is one not to miss. I highly recommend Pax to readers aged eight to eighty.

Click here to learn about the author, Sara Pennypacker.

Storyteller's Journey

Photo Credit: Public Domain

    My True North

While "True North" is usually a navigational term, it is also a metaphor for the values &/or goals that guide us, primarily the ones that we hold dear.



My "True North" is complex, but if I had to summarize it, it would be Faith. Not the kind of faith one seeks in a church, synagogue, or mosque, but the kind of faith one finds inside the heart. Faith in my dreams, faith in my family & friends, faith in the future, etc. It implies moving forward, living to the fullest, and conquering challenges. Believing that when I leave this planet my life will have made a difference - that I touched lives and left a positive legacy. And while I do have faith in God, it's not a religious sort of faith, but a faith that just knows He's there, that He's guiding me, and that He loves me.

Why is that important to a writer? Well, it means everything to a writer. We've signed up to write across the years of our lives, navigating through tests and trials, challenges and chaos. If we're not equipped with a properly working compass, we'll never see our journey through to the end. It takes a heart that knows what is important - what is "True North" - to see us through. We must have a significant reason to write.

A writer might believe becoming a published author is her "True North." But will that help her if she never gains agent representation, or never gets published? How will that help her if her dreams don't come true?
I believe we all must have a bigger "True North" than what our writing goals can provide to be happy. There must be substance in our lives.

While I do stay motivated by always working toward my goals, I try to never lose sight of why I made those goals: It comes back to Faith.

Knowing what you value as a human being - no matter what your occupation - is the best way to find strength amidst the storms of life. If you know your "True North" you'll always know which direction to go.

Whimsical Word of the Week

Polymath - (n.)
a person of wide-ranging knowledge or learning. Example: The jedi was not only a knight, but a polymath.
Happy Star Wars Day!
May the Force be with you!

Bibliophile's Corner

Wing & Claw
Forest of Wonders
by Linda Sue Park

Flap Copy Description:
Raffa Santana has always loved the mysterious Forest of Wonders. For a gifted young apothecary like him, every leaf has the potential to unleash a kind of magic. If only Raffa's cautious father would allow him to experiment freely, Raffa knows he could discover miracles.

When an injured bat crashes into Raffa's life, he invents a cure from a rare crimson vine that he finds deep in the forest. The powers of the vine are stronger than Raffa could have imagined. His remedy saves the animal but also transforms it into something much more than an ordinary bat, with far-reaching consequences. Raffa's experiments lead him away from home to the forbidding city of Gilden, where troubling discoveries make him question who he can trust . . . and whether exciting botanical inventions, including his own, might actually threaten the very creatures of the forest he wants to protect.

My Thoughts:

The award-winning author Linda Sue Park has created a beautiful middle grade novel full of whimsical animals, magical potions, and complex characters. This first book in the new series Wing & Claw introduces us to the wondrous world of the young apothecary Raffa, as well as his animal friends. The protagonist in this well-written Old World tale is faced with problems all around, as well as within his own heart; he is assisted by the strong supporting cast of Garith, Kuma, and Trixin. I highly recommend Forest of Wonders - the first book in the Wing & Claw series - to readers from the ages of eight to twelve.

Click here to learn more about the author Linda Sue Park.