Firstborn by Tor Seidler

When I heard that Tor Seidler - one of my favorite authors - had written a book set in Yellowstone National Park - one of my favorite places - I couldn't wait to read it.  I wasn't disappointed.

Firstborn is the story of a pack of wolves, and their struggles to survive in the beautiful, but often brutal, wilderness.  Told from the vantage point of  a Magpie named Maggie (who is less than impressed with her parents' lack of creativity in naming her), the story follows the magnificent wolf Blue Boy, one of the largest and most powerful wolves in the park.

Forcibly relocated from his original home in Canada, Blue Boy forms alliances with other similarly displaced wolves and forms his own pack.  Together they endure the hardships of life in the untamed wild, and eventually claim their own territory in Yellowstone's Lamar Valley.  In honor of their new-found home, Blue Boy names his firstborn son Lamar.  According to wolf tradition, Lamar is destined to become an alpha-male himself, asserting his dominance over the other wolves.

But Lamar is unlike any other wolf.  Less concerned with leading the hunt, and more concerned with exploring the natural wonders all around him, he is a bit of a disappointment to his father.  Especially of concern to Blue Boy is Lamar's interest in befriending - of all creatures - a coyote.  To the other wolves, coyotes are inferior, and friendship between the species is considered taboo.

When tragedy and treachery befall Blue Boy, Lamar must decide where his loyalties lie, and find the strength to be true to himself.  Through multiple story-arcs, that is the central theme of this moving novel: that becoming who you are and accepting yourself isn't always easy.

Filled with emotion, danger, and excitement, Firstborn is an often excruciating tale of survival, loyalty, treachery, courage, honor, and love.  A beautiful novel set in a beautiful world.

Space Case by Stuart Gibbs

Mystery fans - have I got a book for you!

Science fans - have I got a book for you!

And it's the same book.

Space Case is an exciting murder mystery set on the moon.  Twelve-year-old Dashiell Gibson and his family are among the first families to live on Moon Base Alpha, the world's first human moon colony.  Carefully screened and chosen from thousands of applicants, the first inhabitants of Moon Base Alpha were promised the adventure of a lifetime, along with all the comforts of home.  According to The Official Residents' Guide to Moon Base Alpha, life on the moon might even be better than life back home!

Sounds like a great opportunity, right?  Turns out, the reality is not what the guide promises.  Flying real (i.e. comfortable) furniture to the moon is too expensive and impractical, so most of the furniture is inflatable.  All the food is dehyradted (and disgusting), and the toilets!  Well, you can read the book to find out about the toilets (but eliminating waste in low-gravity requires some interesting technology).

But for Dash, it's the boredom that's the worst part.  There aren't many other kids around, the Base is small, and since the lunar surface can be deadly, children aren't even allowed out of the base for a low-gravity romp on the moon.  What's the point of living on the moon, for goodness sake?

Things change, though, when one of the lunar scientists turns up dead.  Dash suspects foul play, but has a hard time getting anyone - even his own parents - to believe him.  It's up to Dash to investigate the possible murder before the killer strikes again.

The author, Stuart Gibbs, has crafted an excellent murder mystery.  Many residents of the base had both motive and opportunity to kill the scientist, but who would actually do it?  You'll be guessing right up until the very end (I know I was), and the "big reveal" is one of the most satisfying endings I've read in a long time.

Seriously, how much better than a murder mystery on the moon can it get?  Check out Space Case, it's an ingenious, well-paced thriller, that's literally out of this world!

The Neddiad by Daniel Pinkwater

This was another selection read by the Council of Book Readers.*

Everyone on the Council really enjoyed it, but we all agree it's REALLY hard to describe. Set in the years just following World War II,  The Neddiad follows the adventures of Neddie Wentworthstein as he is called upon to save the world.  For Neddie is the guy with the sacred turtle.  And the guy with the sacred turtle always saves the world.

It starts out simply enough: Neddie and his father (who live in Chicago at the outset of the book) both really want to eat at the famous Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood, California.  Since Mr. Wentworthstein made a fortune during the war selling shoe-laces to the US military, the family simply decides to move to Hollywood, so they can eat at the Brown Derby - a restaurant shaped like a hat!

There are crazy, wacky adventures a-plenty along the way, but it's when Neddie finally arrives in Hollywood that things really start getting weird.  There are ghosts, demons, elephants, mastodons, school bullies, shamans, movie stars and space police, and ... well, too many wacky characters along the way.  There's a circus, a private school, a reproduction of the Roman Colloseum, and - most importantly - the La Brea Tar Pits (which, translated, is actually "the the tar tar pits"!)  I told you it was hard to describe!

If you're looking for humor, surprises, twists and turns, and a cavalcade of interesting characters, you should have a look at The Neddiad.  The Council of Book Readers thought it was "funny," "surprising," "weird," and "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" (because such a weird book can only be described with a weird word!)


*the Council of Book Readers will next meet on Friday, May 8th at 4:00pm.  We'll be discussing A Whole Nother Story by Cuthbert Soup.  Give it a read (it's another wacky one) and come join the fun!

Masterpiece by Elise Broach

Masterpiece is the story of an unlikely friendship between and beetle and a boy.  Marvin, the beetle, lives with his family in the cupboard beneath the kitchen sink of the family of James, the boy.   Although the beetle family is well aware of the humans, the activities of the beetles go largely unnoticed - until James receives a pen-and-ink drawing set for his birthday.

Drawn to the ink and paper, Marvin draws a landscape while James is asleep - and the result is mini-masterpiece!   When James discovers that is was Marvin who was the artist, the two become fast friends.  Of course, James's family think James was the artist, and take great pride in "his" talent.

In fact, Marvin's drawing gets James involved in a mystery at the art museum involving the theft of drawings by famous artist Albrecht Dürer.   What ensues is an adventure into the high-stakes world of stolen masterpieces.  With humor, sensitivity, and insight into the emotional power of art, Masterpiece is a terrifically fun book for anyone with an appreciation for friendship, art and adventure.  And beetles.

The Chesire Cheese Cat by Carmen Agra Deedy & Randall Wright

It's hard out on the streets of Victorian London, and Skilley the alley cat would like to find a more comfortable living situation.  When word gets out that Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Inn is looking for a mouser, Skilley launches an outrageous plan to get the job.

But Skilley is a cat with an embarrassing secret.   When that secret is discovered, Skilley forges an unlikely alliance - and friendship - with Pip, the intelligent, literate, leader of the inn's mice.  Just when things are starting to look good for Skilley, intrigue erupts.

For the Inn is also home to a mysterious creature that lives in the attic.  And a tyrannical cook.  And a mouse-hating barmaid.  And - worst of all - the mean alley cat Pinch - Skilley's arch-nemesis who has also been taking in by the innkeeper.  On top of all that, the inn is frequently visited by one of England's most famous writers of the day, Mr. Charles Dickens, who has a serious case of writer's block to deal with.

Rich in humor and historical references, The Cheshire Cheese Cat is a delightful tale of friendship in Merrie Old England.  Skilley and Pip make an unlikely duo as the attempt to right all that is wrong in Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Inn.