The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

When I heard that The Graveyard Book won the Newbery Award this year, I was thrilled. It isn't often that a supernatural mystery or a fantasy book wins this kind of award. It usually goes to "important" books that deal with deep themes. Or books where the main character's struggle teaches the reader an essential lesson.

So you see, I was thrilled because the Newbery committee recognized that this kind of book can deliver all those things as well. And after listening to the audio book version of The Graveyard Book, I can see why it won.

This is a murder mystery from page 1, when through a twist of circumstance, a toddler escapes the fate of the rest of his family at the hands of the Man Jack, a knife-wielding murderer sent to exterminate the entire family.

Wandering out of the house and up the hill to the local graveyard in the dead of night turns out to be the one thing that saves the tot, as he is rescued and "adopted" by a couple of ghosts. They give him the name of Nobody (but generously call him Bod) and while the way the child ends up in the graveyard might be a stretch, it matters not. Because once the body is taken in, the story truly begins.

With the help of the mysterious Silas, the graveyard folks raise Bod as their own, and throughout the years Bod learns history from the long-time inhabitants, and even meets up with other humans. How all the stories intertwine is Gaiman's special brand of magic as we finally discover why Bod's original family was targeted, and Bod realizes his place in the world.

I was fortunate enough to listen to the author himself reading (performing) his work, which gave it an even richer dimension. There is most definitely darkness woven throughout this story (between the murder and the beasties and secrets of the graveyard), so it isn't for a timid younger reader. It's listed for 10 and up, and I would probably agree.

That said, the ending is full of hope and bittersweet self-discovery which in my opinion overshadows the dark setting. From a parents' perspective, The Graveyard Book is a glorious metaphor about raising children, knowing that ultimately they belong out in the world and not at your side. And so as an "important" Newbery book, it fits quite nicely.

This is one of the best books I've read this year, and I'm giving it a strong 4 1/2 bookmarks.

The Dragon Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

I am a big fan of this trilogy, and felt that The Wizard Heir was a fantastic continuation of the original story CWC introduced us to in The Warrior Heir. The Dragon Heir tells the tale of how the two episodes merge and wraps things up nicely.

In this world, magical people are born with a weir stone near their hearts, and this stone indicates which magical guild you belong to -- guilds that were created centuries ago when the magic was first given to the humans as a gift from a dragon.

Jack, the warrior heir, and Seph, the wizard heir, are now leading a team of wizards and ana-weir, hoping to defeat the Roses for good. Madison Moss, introduced in book 2, plays a bigger part in this story, as does Seph's friend Jason.

I was disappointed that the characters of Leander Hastings and Linda Downey aren't featured more prominently, as I enjoyed them in book 2. That said, I think CWC did a wonderful job of rounding out the story and rolling it along to an explosive conclusion.

This series is solid YA, appropriate for an older tween or, for the more sensitive, teen reader as the story features a war, and many battles and bloodshed. The underlying story of good versus evil is well done. You could say that CWC has created a more mature, intense wizarding world that Harry Potter fans can graduate to in their middle and high school years.

I was sad to see this series end, but now we have CWC's new series to look forward to: The Demon King, out later this year.

Percy Jackson -- the movie -- in production!

Now that The Last Olympian is out (and on my nightstand to be devoured soon) my pining can turn to the Percy Jackson movie, aka the film version of The Lightning Thief. Rick Riordan has posted a wonderful and descriptive account of his visit to the set on his blog. It sounds like they are really doing the story justice. Let's hope!!

My Peanut(s) and I Fly Southwest

Okay, this has nothing to do whatsoever with children's books, but Southwest Airlines is having this cool promotion where they're giving away a family set of four tickets, so, all you have to do to participate is post this cute little picture and let them know...

Here are the details if you'd like to join in the fun!

Author Interview: Jay Asher

I was so impressed with 13 Reasons Why that I tracked down author Jay Asher and begged him for an interview. He graciously complied. Thanks Jay!!

Cool Kids Read: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Jay Asher: I knew I wanted to be a writer when I realized I couldn't draw. Back in elementary school and junior high, my dream was to write and illustrate my own comic strip. Charles Schulz was my idol! I was working on a strip called Nate the Gopher and having a lot of fun, but it definitely wasn't going to get me anywhere. In high school I decided to try my hand at journalism...which also wasn't going to get me anywhere. In my first year of college, I took a course called Children's Literature Appreciation and was reintroduced to my love of children's books. From then on, nothing was going to stop me from getting published in that market.

CKR: 13 Reasons Why is your debut novel. Tell us a bit about how you became published.

JA: Trial and error. I spent nine years writing picture books, early chapter books, and middle grade novels...all humorous. I went through three agents in that time with lots of nibbles from publishers and even won awards for my manuscripts. But I could tell there was something wrong. I hadn't discovered my natural voice. Then I began writing my first non-humorous book, which was also a book for teens, and knew immediately that I'd found my voice. In the three years it took me to write Thirteen Reasons Why, I was still submitting my earlier manuscripts (and some new ones). About a month-and-a-half after signing with my current agent, I had a contract!

CKR: The “listening” format of the story is so original, and combined with the subject matter, makes for a gut-wrenching story. What made you want to use this technique to tell a story about teenage suicide?

JA: I once took an audiotour of a mock-up of King Tut's tomb. Once the tour was over, I went searching for a story to tell in a similar format, with one narrator being a recorded voice and the other being the thoughts of the person listening. Around that same time, a close relative of mine attempted suicide. Several years went by before both events clicked together, and I knew the pairing worked well. The audiorecordings weren't just a cute gimmick, but actually enhanced the story. It also allowed me to talk from the point-of-view of a suicidal character while also getting another person's perspective on the events being discussed.

CKR: The technology of Hannah’s using cassette tapes draws upon the past and gives the story a grittiness that new technology might not have. Did you consider telling her story any other way (video? Emails? Etc.)

JA: I considered many forms of technology, though cassette tapes were how the story originally came to me. One, I thought cassette tapes gave my character more tangible elements to work with. Two, and more importantly, cassettes would keep the book from seeming out-of-date a little while longer. Sounds weird, I know. But if I'd used the most up-to-date technology, and the characters acted as if everything was up-to-date, it wouldn't be modern for long because the way we speak about technology changes quickly. Yet if the characters acknowledged that the means of recording were dated, suddenly the book is contemporary.

CKR: Which authors did you read as a child? Today?

JA: The only author I read a lot of as a child was Ray Bradbury. Everything else was book-by-book, not because of the author's name. But now I've read and enjoyed several books by Chris Crutcher, Jerry Spinelli, Louis Sachar, Carolyn Mackler, Laurie Halse Anderson...

CKR: When can we expect another Jay Asher novel?

JA: When I finish it, then a little while after that. (Tee-hee!)

CKR: Any news about a 13 Reasons Why movie deal?

JA: There's been a lot of interest, and we're currently talking to a few people...so keep your fingers crossed.

Only a few days until The Last Olympian!

We don't have long to wait, Percy Jackson fans! For a great article in the Wall Street Journal about Rick Riordan and his wonderful series....click here.