Llama and a Half!

Thank you to all the wonderful folks who left comments in our campaign to spread awareness of the great work of Heifer International. I've decided to donate my full pledge amount - because I can't say "no" to the llama!

I made my donation through Rothfuss' Team Heifer page, so that he would match my donation with another 50%. How awesome is that? Hopefully that means a couple more flocks of geese, and not half a llama! Because half a llama doesn't do anyone any good.

It's not too late to hop on over to Rothfuss' Team Heifer page and help him reach his amazing $76,000 goal by January 15th.

Thank you again to all my sweet commenters! I hope you will come back in the New Year, when Ink Spells will have a slightly sleeker, reorganized look, and lots more reviews and tips on ways to connect kids to books!

I leave you with some llama fun. The llama thanks you.

Give a Flock of Geese . . . or a Llama!

I'm drawn out of my Holiday Hiatus by Nathan Bransford's holiday charity drive to help Heifer International. If you haven't heard of this fab charity, they give meaningful gifts of hope to hungry families around the world through livestock, training, and other assistance. Heifer takes the words "Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish, you feed him for a lifetime" very seriously.

My kids have raised money for chickens and goats before through our church, and I can attest to the personal connection it helps kids make between their charitable donation and helping other people around the world. And cute animals don't hurt!

My pledge: I will be making a $20 donation, to purchase a flock (yes, an entire flock! for $20!) of geese. BUT, for every comment made to my blog, I will donate an additional $1*, up to a maximum of $150. At $150, we can purchase a llama!! And how cool is that?

So, please leave a comment below, tell me your wishes for 2010, and spread the word.

 It's a llama, people! How can you say no?

Also: please consider making a donation to this worthy cause.

*unless I change my mind and decide to donate more

TO LEAVE A COMMENT: Click on "comments" below, or Click here and then scroll down to Post a Comment. Enter your comment, select Comment As . . .Anonymous (if you want) and then click Post Comment.

UPDATE 12/31: Thanks for all the great comments! I've decided to make my full pledge donation ($150) - because I can't say "no" to the llama! I made my donation through Rothfuss' Team Heifer page, so that he would match my donation with another 50%. Hopefully that will mean a couple extra flocks of geese, and not half a llama!

Holiday Magic, Books and Traditions

On Christmas Eve, we always read 'Twas The Night Before Christmas, by Clement C. Moore, with the bowl-full-of-jelly Santa and "up to the housetop the coursers they flew!" My kids have come to enjoy it, even if they don't understand it. Heck, even I had to look up "coursers", a word which here alludes to Santa's fleet footed reindeer, but generally refers to swift horse. But then there's this:

"As dry leaves that before


the wild hurricane fly,


When they meet with an obstacle


mount to the sky."


It's magical. And the only time my kids will sit still for poetry.

My first grader's class is exploring holiday traditions around the world. While I was volunteering in class, we read Seven Spools of Thread, a Kwanzaa story of seven brothers who fight and then are forced to work together to weave a beautiful, multicolored cloth to earn their father's inheritance. The kids wove their own paper cloth of many colors, no small feat for tiny fingers. There were a couple irreparably damaged cloths along the way, but these first graders were not easily dissuaded, and readily believed in the magic of working together.

And my blogging friend, Rachel, shared her family's hilarious attempt at starting a Hanukkah tradition. No books were involved (or harmed) in this endeavor, but there was a small house-fire, an encounter with the police, and some home-made magic of the illuminating kind.

As the kids spring from their ice encrusted school grounds, we will spend the next week desperately searching for last minute gifts, baking Christmas cookies, and tracking Santa on NORAD.


About the third day, I will begin to curse the people who authorized children to have two FULL weeks off school for the holidays. Then I will remember that's me (I'm on the local school board) and will try to gin up some holiday spirit. By the fifth day, I'll be craving an escape to the Caribou Coffee for a caffeinated retreat with my mini laptop for some writing time. If I've been a very good girl, I may get my wish. And if I'm extremely lucky, I won't be up past midnight on Christmas Eve trying to alter that Snow White costume for my pint-sized niece, who's too small for the normal dress-up clothes (what was I thinking???).

And then I'll eat some Christmas cookies and thank my lucky stars that I have a whole and healthy family to once again celebrate the miracle of a baby born in a manger 2000 years ago.

Merry Christmas to you and all the best for a healthy, happy holiday! Ink Spells will take a hiatus and return with the New Year.

p.s. Do you have a special book you associate with the holidays? Please share your traditions!

Ink Spells talks The Frog Scientist

I recently plugged The Frog Scientist, by Pamela S. Turner, on my list of holiday rec's, but I wanted to do a proper review on this wonderful non-fiction book that reads like a story. The book follows scientist Tyrone Hayes and his experiments as he attempts to discover why frogs all over the world are disappearing. With over a hundred species going extinct since 1980, I love how the book does not take a simple approach to this complex problem with many sources, including pesticides, fungal attacks, encrouching species, and habitat loss. The story has a similarly nuanced view of Hayes' struggles in school, his abiding love of science, and the help he gets along the way from mentors and friends encouraging him to continue his work. This heart warming story will encourage young readers think big questions about science, one of my great loves as well, and with a high reading level and challenging non-fiction content, this is an excellent read for advanced readers 8+.

RL: 6.3 CSM: 9+ Rating: PG Content: frogs are euthanized and dissected, but not graphically

Pamela S. Turner has an author website with information about her other non-fiction books. Her book, A Life in the Wild, is on my holiday TBR list, which is now larger than Santa's belly, but not as jiggly.

Another Award for Ink Spells!

Thank you to Caroline for the sweet blogger-love award!

Rules on this one (notice how all of a sudden I'm a pro at this?) are simple: Tell a story about your childhood reading life, and pass it on to five blogger-friends.

The Indie Bookstore: When I was 8-12 years old (back before the word tween came into existence and roughly in the Mezosoic period), there was a small independent bookstore near my house, sandwiched in between the Sav-on and the Mom&Pop Ice Cream parlor. Whenever I could scrape together enough money from allowance or birthdays, I would hop on my bike and ride down to the book store, immediately looking for new tomes from my favorite authors. I had a small dream of one day having my name on one of those books.

The bookstore is long gone. The dream was long-forgotten and I went to work in the numerical trenches as a scientist and engineer. Now, returning to fiction writing after a long hiatus, I find myself wistful for that long-ago bookstore. My name is more likely to appear as a digital whisper amongst the multitudes on Amazon than in an Indie bookstore, if there are any left. But it was a nice dream.

Now for the blogs:

1. Not a blog per se, but this website has a forum for talk about Getting Boys to Read.
2. Ithaka - he pretends not to be funny. But he is anyway.
3. For finding books (older) boys love: Guys Lit Wire
4. Author's Echo - because Adam not only reads and draws, he and his wife are foster-parents. And it doesn't get any cooler than that.
5. The Slow Cooked Sentence - a fellow mom and writer, things that both enhance and inhibit each other!

Thanks for the blogger love!

Worshipping the Wall Street Journal

Dark Omen came home from 5th grade and told me his classmates were "worshipping" him today because he reads the Wall Street Journal. "Worship" is apparently 5th grade speak for, "Dude, you're really cool" and it strikes me as awesome that these kids think it's "cool" to read, of all things, the newspaper. Not any newspaper, mind you, but The Wall Street Journal, which is known for its extensive business and news analysis, in addition to its conservative opinion page.

Once Dark Omen was old enough to safely read the front page, I encouraged him to read both our local paper and the WSJ. He was drawn to the comics and an occasional local article, but mostly was attracted to the large, serious looking typeset of the WSJ. The reading level of the WSJ is much higher than our local paper, and the articles are more complex. Some wonderfully studious conversations have been born out of his morning perusal of the paper.

I'm not sure how the 5th grade class discovered Dark Omen's reading habit. I suspect a recent birthday party, where the dad-in-charge high-fived him and encouraged him to keep reading the WSJ, had something to do with it. How the dad knew is still a mystery.

Perhaps, the 5th graders found it fascinating because so few of them read the paper. That would be sad, if true. But not surprising, in a world where parents, along with the rest of the nation, get most of their news from the television or internet.

But, if rare, at least it was worthy of worship! I only wonder if the fascination will survive the trenches of Jr. High a year or so from now, where geeky literary tendencies might lose their luster.

What about your children? Do they read the paper? Do you?

Ink Spells talks 100 Cupboards

RL: 4.2 CSM: 10+ Rating: PG Content: Peril of characters

100 Cupboards, by N.D. Wilson is a charming story about a boy who finds a magical cupboard in his room, hidden behind a wall, where each small door leads to somewhere . . . else. This is also a story about twelve year old Henry breaking away from his very overprotective parents to discover new, and dangerous, adventures. The first book in a series, 100 Cupboards leaves many questions unanswered - but that's where Dandelion Fire (Book #2) picks up. Wormburner (son#2) said 100 Cupboards was "slow in the beginning, but then it gets really good." Wilson uses lots of very descriptive words and turns of phrase that make this a more challenging read than its 4.2 reading level would imply. There is some violence, but nothing graphic. Overall, a good read for advanced readers 8+.

More Books for Boys, and Fun Stuff

Background: Wormburner (aka son#2) has been reading Artemis Fowl.
Setting: Last night at dinner . . .

Wormburner: "Dad, did you know fairies have jet packs?"
Dad: "Um, no?"
Wormburner: "And they vibrate!"
Wormburner starts vibrating in his seat.
Mom explains: "Fairies vibrate at a speed that renders them invisible to the human eye. Don't ask me how I know this."
Dad raises an eyebrow, nods.
Mighty Mite (aka son#3): "I knew that!"
Wormburner starts vibrating faster and faster.
Dad: "I can still see you."

 + 

Don't mess with the Fairy.

Folks, this is the stuff that makes life worth living.
Kids: The Lord's original Cheap Entertainment.

Back to our regularly scheduled program . . .

After all the wonderful suggestions from an epic number of commenters, and some additional rec's from the lovely-yet-bonkers The Rejectionist, I have updated the list of Books to Keep Boys Reading.

And speaking of epic, my TBR (To Be Read) pile grew so large, due to the massive additions from the list above, that it underwent mitosis and spawned another pile. Hopefully, I will chop it down to size over the holidays and come back in the New Year with lots of new reviews!

Thanks again to all the commenters who made suggestions and stopped by Ink Spells! We have lots more fun ahead . . .

Download the full list of MG and YA reading suggestions

So, what is on your holiday reading list? Or will you be too busy with the eggnog and stockings to curl up with a book (or a nook - oops! they're sold out! sorry!)?

Reluctant Readers and Graphic Novels

The recent discussion about how to Keep Boys Reading, spurred a thought in my mind about how to lure lapsed or reluctant readers back into reading. Lapsing out of reading can happen to any child, even advanced readers. Just because they can read ahead of their grade, doesn't mean they will.

I'm convinced that finding the perfect book, maybe even reading it together for the younger ones (or the older ones - you might be surprised!), is the ticket. But the recent success of the Wimpy Kid books illustrates the power of art (er, even the stick figure variety) to draw kids into a book.

Duh. Comic books publishers have known this for a long, long time.

Now the comic books of yore have grown up and gone all uber-cool, transforming themselves into Graphic Novels.

Here at Ink Spells, we're looking for high reading level books (or challenging in some way), but with low levels of graphic sex/violence/other inappropriate material for the Wee Ones. In some ways Graphic Novels are the opposite this, with their low reading levels and, well, graphic visuals.

I don't advocate a steady diet of Graphic Novels as the preferred literary fare. BUT. If a reluctant reader can be drawn back into reading by those lush, vibrant pictures on glossy paper, I say give it a try. Especially if it tempts your reluctant reader toward a more satisfying meal of literary excellence.


I stumbled across a fabulous blog about using high quality comic literature in the classroom by savvy teacher, Mr. Wilson. AND he's categorized his Graphic Novels by age, aiding parents in finding one that maybe has pictures that won't make your eyes pop out of your head.

RL: 3.0  CSM:  n/a Rating: PG-13 Content: Blood, implied sexuality

King Arthur and the Nights of the Roundtable, the Graphic Novel version, was sparse on the words, and low on the reading level, and there was some blood in the battles, but they weren't horrifically graphic. And there was that scene where King Pelles tricks Sir Lancelot into marrying his daughter, so they could begat the noble Sir Galahad. But, it was pretty much left to the imagination. The thing that struck me about the ultra-abbreviated, all-Camelot-tales-in-one-slim-book approach was how much it left me yearning for more: more story, more details, more of the drama that was missing in the short read. Getting a taste of great stories like this, can be an effective way to bring your reluctant reader back to the full fledged books with the tiny print.

It comes back to a basic principal: encourage your child to read, read, read, from the cereal box to the comic strips. And an occasional foray into Graphic Novels.

Just take a quick look through them first.

The Science Files for kids

I think it is important to never talk down to kids. Their brains are small, but mighty. Even an eight years old's brain has as much raw computing power as an adult, and is probably better at learning than the ossified brains of their parents. They simply haven't been on the planet as long. Seriously, that is your only advantage, parents, so use it well.

However, when talking to kids you need to translate to kid-language. Kid-speak is not slang, or baby-talk - it is the simplified, yet potent, way of talking directly to those very smart little brains. Kids don't need, or tolerate, all the qualifiers and ramblings. Just the facts, ma'am.

I just finished Draft 2 of my middle grade science fiction novel BYRNE RISK, which is heavy on the tech details. It was no small feat to weave the technology into the story, putting it in kid-speak but also not slowing the story down. In the end, I created The Science Files, an appendix at the end that talks about all the real science behind the story science. I just sent this out to my kid-beta-readers (how fun is that?), and the response has been very instructive for me.

I was afraid that it would be too technical, too much detail, or simply confusing. I was afraid they might be overwhelmed by it. I was, after all, talking about genetic engineering and black holes and anti-matter engines. Not simple stuff. Here's an excerpt from The Science Files . . .

In real science, anti-matter exists and has been produced by physicists in large particle-accelerator chambers, like CERN and HaDRON. Anti-matter is the opposite of matter, just like negative numbers are the opposite of positive numbers. When anti-matter collides with regular matter, a tremendous amount of energy is released, along with meson particles (particles smaller than an atom) and dangerous gamma radiation.

But the early reviews from the kids show just the opposite: they understood it and wanted MORE. I've come to find, from my own children as well as their friends, that wanting MORE is the highest kid compliment. And they're pretty demanding about it.

So, while finishing up edits and revisions and endless searches for misplaced commas is not very exciting, having a draft that I can send out to reviewers, both the kid and writer variety, IS exciting. In fact, having readers want MORE is what it's really all about.

Giving Books for Christmas!

I have always given books for birthdays and Christmas. I could mostly get away with it with the kids - even if they looked askance at it, at least the parents appreciated the effort. And it was much easier when the kids were little - who doesn't need another book, when you can read through Dora the Explorer in less than 10 minutes, or Magic Tree House in 5 bedtime reads. Or are my kids the only ones that demanded two chapters at a time?

The adults were a little less thankful, unless they were avid readers. But I persisted, even winning over my non-reading M-I-L with The DaVinci Code and a bonus, tear worthy little book, The Christmas Box.

As the kids (and their friends) have gotten older, though, I've resorted more to B&N gift cards. Even the kids don't know what their friends have read or what they'll like.

But, tis the season for book lists, and I've been scouring the blogosphere for kid-friendly ones. The Mother Reader blog brings us the hilarious, and quite useful, 105 Ways to Give a Book, with age-categories of book suggestions paired with ways to give them.

My favorite: #58 Pair fantasy book Savvy with an assortment of temporary or henna tattoos. In Savvy, Mibs gets her own special power at age 13, and the tattoos have a something to say about it.




Meanwhile Your Friendly Librarian blog has a much smaller listing of her favorite picks for 2009.

My favorite: The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, about a girl at the turn of the 20th century who pines for science and is given a copy of The Origin of Species by her grandfather. I haven't read Calpurnia, but as a science girl myself, it's at the tippy top of my TBR list. Plus I've heard fabulous things about it.

Keeping with the science theme, I couldn't pass up the ALA's Top 10 Books for Youth lists. The have the Top 10 Sci-Tech Books for Youth. But if science isn't your child's thing, they also have the Top 10 Art Books for Youth.

My favorite: The Frog Scientist, a non-fiction book with a high reading level (6.3) for young readers, that is also on my TBR list.

And, finally, a 2009 MG list from Boing Boing, with a range of books.

M y favorite: Leviathan, by Scott Westerfeld. Author of the wildly popular Uglies (a YA series) and a great SF author, I hadn't realized he had written a MG book. It's an alternate steampunk history of WWI, with the steampunk aspect putting it at the upper end of middle grade (around 12+). Another for my TBR list.

Are you planning on giving books for Christmas? What books would you like to give (or receive) for the wee ones on your list?

Books I've Reviewed

Ah, as the Books Reviewed list grows, I find myself in need of more room! So, this page will be the placeholder for Books Reviewed by Ink Spells (with the occasional guest blog by Dark Omen).

Also see a list of Books to Keep Boys Reading, which are not reviewed books.

If you'd like to suggest a book for review, please leave a comment!

A reminder about the ratings:
RL = Reading Level
CSM = Common Sense Media age rating
Ink = Ink Spells recommended age rating
Rating = My personal rating
Content = My comments

Titles are linked to Ink Spell's review, for more details

Title, Author	RL	CSM	Ink	Rating	Content
Frindle, Andrew Clements	5.4	9+	all ages	G	Suitable for all ages
Things Not Seen, Andrew Clements	4.5	10+	8+	PG	Puppy love
The Softwire series, PJ Haarsma	4.7	n/a	8+	PG	Minor peril
Tom Swift, Victor Appleton	4.8-5.7	8+	8+	G	Very minor peril
Artemis Fowl series, Eoin Colfer	5.0	n/a	8+	G	Minor peril
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, J.K. Rowling	5.5	9+	8+	G	Peril of characters
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, J.K. Rowling	6.7	9+	8+	PG	Peril of characters
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, J.K. Rowling	6.7	9+	8+	PG	Peril of characters
Septimus Heap, Angie Sage	6.0	n/a	8+	PG	Peril, puppy love
Savvy, Ingrid Law	6.0	9+	8+	PG-13	Puppy love, chaste kiss, drunk adult
A Series of Unfortunate Events, Lemony Snicket	6.3-6.7	9+	8+	PG	Dark humor, peril, death of minor characters
The 10 Greatest ... (Fill in the Blank)	7.1+	n/a	8+	n/a	Non-fiction
Shadow Children series, Margaret Haddix	4.8-5.6	9+	9+	PG	Death of a major character, peril, dark themes
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling	6.8	10+	10+	PG	Death of character, Puppy Love
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J.K. Rowling	7.2	10+	10+	PG	Mild torture, a chaste kiss
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling	7.2	11+	10+	PG	Death of major character, snogging
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling	6.9	12+	12+	PG	Characters injured, tortured and killed

Keep Boys Reading

Natalie Whipple, writer and blogger-friend, wrote an awesome post that ran very close to my heart. It was about the (mis)conceptions that boys don't like to read, or stop reading when they reach puberty (if not before). I agree with her very well made argument that keeping boys reading means making sure writers write and parents find books that boys want to read.

This is an issue I feel so passionate about - connecting young readers to good books they'll love, so they will continue to read - that I . . . created a blog about it! (cue: Ink Spells)

Natalie's readers are passionate, too, and chimed in with the books their boys love to read, and a list was born. I greedily copied all the commenter's suggestions because that very morning my 11 year old came to me and said "Mom, I'm out of books again." I had plans to scour the list for MG books and troop off to the library, but I realized that, soon enough, I would have young teens looking for those elusive YA boy books. Did I mention that I love YA books? I do. Just not for my MG readers, yet. I will tuck away these YA suggestions for the day when Dark Omen enters teenage-hood and I officially lose my mind.

So, below I have taken the suggested reading list of Natalie's commenters and separated them into MG and YA. I've also added information about the reading level and age ratings, where available.

Let me be clear: I have not read/reviewed these books for age appropriateness (beyond separating them into MG and YA) - except for hyperlinked books, which have been reviewed. There are many books on the MG list that would not be appropriate for younger (8-10) readers, just as there are many books on the YA list that would not be appropriate for younger teens (13-15). Some of these older teen books have very mature themes, with graphic violence and explicit sex being some of the less disturbing aspects. There are also some books that are commonly considered MG (Ender's Game, Hunger Games) due to the tween protagonists, that I have put on the YA list due to content.

Ultimately, you know your child, and are best able to make suitable choices for them. But make the effort to find books they enjoy - it is so important that children keep reading, even after they enter the teenage years, even if they are boys! It is an investment in our future.


This great article talks about why kids stop reading when they reach puberty. It's not because they have too much homework, and it's not because the books are too difficult (clearly - see below), it's because they can't find books that they want to read. Kids need our help to find books they will enjoy reading, and Ink Spells is here to help you.
 
See the lists below. If the books are a series, I've indicated that, but only listed the first book. Leave a comment if you have additional suggestions - I will add them to the list!
 
One more note: Is anyone as horrified as I am that the average reading level for the YA books (5.3) is LESS than the average reading level for the MG books (5.4)? I understand that half of high school kids are reading at a Basic Level, which is a tragedy in itself, but still - can't we expect more from our teens? Aren't the kids who are reading for pleasure almost by definition, reading at a higher level than these YA books provide?

p.s. Thank you also to The Rejectionist for more suggestions for the Wee Nippers!

Download a PDF of the full MG+YA list here

Middle Grade Books (ages 8-12): Title, Author

	RL	CSM
Into the Woods (The Warriors series), Erin Hunter	2.3	n/a
Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time, Lisa Yee	3.8	n/a
Only you can save Mankind (Johnny series), Terry Prachett	3.9-4.4	9+
Scary Stories, Alvin Schwartz	4.1	n/a
The Fire Within (The Icefire series), Chris D'Lacey	4.1	n/a
Bunnicula, James Howe	4.2	9+
The Pendragon Series, D.J. MacHale	4.4	10+
Bromeliad Trilogy (Trucker, Diggers, Wings), Terry Prachett	4.4	n/a
Things Not Seen, Andrew Clements	4.5	10+
Hurricane, Terry Trueman	4.6	n/a
The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson series), Rick Riordan	4.7	9+
Virus on Orbis 1 (The Softwire series), PJ Haarsma	4.7	n/a
Fablehaven, Brandon Mull	4.8	9+
Gregor the Overlander (The Underland Chronicles), Suzanne Collins	4.8	9+
Tom Swift and the Flying Lab (Tom Swift series), Victor Appleton	4.8-5.7	8+
Among the Hidden (The Shadow Children series), Margaret Haddix	4.8-5.6	9+
Joey Pigza swallowed the key, Jack Gantos	4.9	11+
The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp (trilogy), Rick Yancey	4.9	11+
Beyond the Deep Woods (The Edge Chronicles), Paul Stewart	4.9	9+
The Forests of Silence (The Deltora Quest series), Emily Rodda	5.0	n/a
Artemis Fowl (series), Eoin Colfer	5.0	n/a
Dull Boy, Sarah Cross *plot contains profanity and violence*	5.1	n/a
Airborn, Kenneth Oppel	5.1	n/a
Stormbreaker (Alex Rider series), Anthony Horowitz	5.1	11+
The Neddiad, Daniel Pinkwater	5.1	n/a
Shadow Thieves(series), Anne Ursue	5.1	n/a
Peter and the Starcatchers, Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson	5.2	9+
Dragonspell (Series) by Donita K. Paul	5.2	n/a
The Sisters Grimm: Fairy Tale Detectives (series), Michael Buckley	5.2	n/a
The Warrior Heir (The Heir Series), Cinda Williams Chima	5.3	n/a
Hurricane Song, Paul Volponi	5.4	n/a
The Castle of Llyr (The Chronicles of Prydain), Lloyd Alexander	5.4	n/a
Frindle, Andrew Clements	5.4	9+
Dragon and Thief (Dragonback Adventures) by Timothy Zahn	5.4	n/a
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, J.K. Rowling	5.5	9+
The Thief Queen’s Daughter, Elizabeth Haydon	5.6	n/a
The Keeper of the Grail, Michael Spradlin	5.6	n/a
Hatchet, Gary Paulson	5.7	11+
Mister Monday series, Garth Nix	5.7	8+
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (The Narnia series), C.S. Lewis	5.7	n/a
The Amulet of Samarkand series, Jonathan Stroud	5.7-5.9	9+
Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie, Jordan Sonnenblick	5.9	n/a
The Fall series, Garth Nix	5.9	9+
The Journal of Curious Letters (the 13th reality series), James Dashner	6.0	n/a
Dark Magyk (The Septimus Heap series), Angie Sage	6.0	n/a
Savvy, Ingrid Law	6.0	9+
The Naming (The Pellinor series), Alison Croggon	6.3	n/a
The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events series), Lemony Snicket	6.3-6.7	9+
The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flammel, Michael Scott	6.4	10+
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, Joan Aiken	6.5	na
DragonHaven, Robin McKinley	6.6	n/a
The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien	6.6	9+
Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula LeGuin	6.7	10+
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, J.K. Rowling	6.7	9+
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, J.K. Rowling	6.7	9+
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling	6.8	10+
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling	6.9	12+
The Ruins of Gorlan (The Ranger's Apprentice Series), John Flanagan	7.0	n/a
The 10 Greatest . . . (Fill in the Blank) series	7.1+	n/a
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J.K. Rowling	7.2	10+
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling	7.2	11+
The Cry of the Icemark, Stuart Hill	8.0	n/a

Young Adult Books (ages 13+): Title, Author

	RL	CSM
Candor, Pam Bachorz	2.9	n/a
Paranoid Park, Blake Nelson	3.7	n/a
I Am The Messenger, Markus Zusak	3.9	14+
Thirsty, M.T. Anderson;	4.2	n/a
Gone and Hunger by Michael Grant	4.3	n/a
The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking series), Patrick Ness	4.4-4.6	13+
Feed, MT Anderson	4.4	14+
The Recruit (The Cherub Series), Robert Muchamore	4.5	n/a
Outsiders, S.E. Hinton	4.7	13+
The Last Thing I Remember, Andrew Klavan	4.7	n/a
Inexcusable, Chris Lynch	4.9	n/a
Lord of the Flies, William Golding	5.0	n/a
Unwind, Neal Shusterman	5.0	13+
The Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss	5.1	n/a
The Book Thief, Markus Zusak	5.1	14+
Monster, Walter Dean Myers	5.1	13+
Saint Iggy, K.L. Going	5.2	14+
Nation, Terry Prachett	5.2	11+
The Discworld books, Terry Prachett	varies	adult/YA
The Maze Runner, James Dashner	5.3	13+
Hunger Games (series), Suzanne Collins	5.3	12+
Neverwhere, Neil Gaiman	5.4	n/a
Howls Moving Castle, Diana Wynne Jones	5.4	9+
Deep Secret, Diana Wynne Jones	5.5	n/a
The Beet Fields, Gary Paulsen	5.5	n/a
Notes from the Midnight Driver, Jordan Sonnenblick	5.5	n/a
Ender’s Game (series), Orson Scott Card	5.5	12+
Here Lies Arthur, Philip Reeve	5.6	12+
Eragon series, Paolini	5.6-7.8	10+
Dune, Frank Herbert	5.7	n/a
The Seventh Son (Alvin Maker saga), Orson Scott Card	5.7	n/a
The Demon's Lexicon, Sarah Rees Brennan	5.9	n/a
The Sledding Hill, Chris Crutcher	5.9	12+
East, Edity Pattou;	6.1	n/a
The Fellowship of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien	6.1	12+
The Return of the King, J.R.R. Tolkien	6.2	12+
The Two Towers, J.R.R. Tolkien	6.3	12+
The Book Of Lost Things, John Connelly	6.5	n/a
Sleeper Agenda and Sleeper Code,Tom Sniegoski	6.8	n/a
The First King of Shannara (The Shannara series), Terry Brooks	6.9	n/a
Sabriel (The Abhorsen Trilogy), Garth Nix	7.3	12+
Rats Saw God, Rob Thomas	7.4	14+

Ink Spells talks Tom Swift

My son, Dark Omen, started reading Tom Swift when he was six. We had several of the stories left over from Dad's youth, the only books he read as a child, according to him. Tom was a swashbuckling boy-genius inventor who, along with his wealthy family, owned Swift Enterprises and had access to all kinds of gadgets, labs, and explosive devices. Dark Omen's Dad grew up to be an engineer/inventor/basement tinkerer of explosive devices (I've promised the ATF that they are only rocket motors), so you can understand the attraction.


Unfortunately, the original Tom Swift books were hard to come by, once we finished the original six. We took to scouring garage sales, libraries and friend's childhood book collections, before turning to the modern day flea market known as Ebay. There, we were able to purchase an entire collection (nearly all of the 33 books), albeit one book at a time.


These lovely little tomes were the first books we found at our son's reading level that could be read without fear of teen angst, kissing or other "love stuff" as he puts it. Or excessive violence. All the gee-whiz rocket-ride fun of the original Tom Swift books reminds me of the Hardy Boys, if they were genius inventors with a really cool, and wealthy, Dad.

Once enamored with young Master Swift, we found that the Tom Swift books actually encompass 5 series over the course of nearly 100 years, with the first series appearing in 1910! I don't think even James Bond has that kind of staying power. Victor Appleton, it turns out, is a pseudonym which has covered a number of ghost writers. Some of the first series books have even entered the public domain and are text-available online.

RL: unknown but likely 5.5 - 7.0 CSM: n/a Rating: G Content: very mild peril



When I think of the Original Tom Swift, I'm actually referring to the second series which was published from 1954 to 1971, starting with Book 1, Tom Swift and His Flying Lab. This series captures the gosh-wow attitude of a nation enthralled with the rise of technology and the shot to the moon. The technology is fantastic and still technically accurate, and Tom Jr. is hip deep in inventing Damonscopes and flying suits for use with the Sky Queen, the titular Flying Lab.
Excerpt from The Flying Lab:
"What's this gadget?" Rip asked.
"The Swift Spectrograph," Tom answered, unable to keep the note of pride from his voice. "In a matter of a split second you can analyze anything, including radioactive ore."
"Well, all I can say is, congratulations." Rip grasped Tom's hand. "I'd call this a scientist's dream come true."

And these books are a parent's dream come true for their small budding scientists with advanced reading levels. However, the dream comes at a price. If you're lucky enough to have a library that stocks Tom Swift, or an uncle that saved them from his childhood, then you won't have to scour Ebay for them. But even if they are a bit pricey, they are treasures that found their way under Christmas trees for several years in our household.

RL: 4.8 - 5.7 CSM: 8+ Rating: G Content: very minor peril

Less exciting is the more recent incarnation of Tom Swift, young inventor, the fifth series of books. These books are updated for the 2006-2007 publication date, and are still in print, so you can purchase them through regular bookstores and on-line, but they are also watered down versions of the originals. Where the technology is more up-to-date, it is also less technically challenging for these eager young minds that want to know how the Swift Spectrograph works. The reading level is also substantially lower, which probably makes these books more accessible for the younger readers they are targeted to, ages 8-10.


I prefer the original Tom Swift books over the new ones, but any Tom Swift is probably better than no Tom Swift at all. Overall, I HIGHLY recommend these books for advanced readers ages 8+, and they are safe for really precocious readers as young as six.

Happy Christmas Shopping!

iPhone, uh, Book

Lovely readers, the wonderful folks at Upstart Crow Literary pointed me to this video, the latest idea about how to bring e-readers to kids (in this case, through an iPhone App/Picture book mating):



Now this book doesn't have words, or really a story. It's more of a touchscreen demo of the possibilities that could come. I've blogged about e-readers, and other goodies, but my end-of-2009 projection continues to be that e-readers in some incarnation will land in kid's hands long before we expect them to.

What do you think of this, gentle readers? Do kids already have too much screen time? Will they lose their love of the written word, if everything, even the books they grow up with, are interactive?

Ink Spells takes on NaNo, Wins New Novel

NaNo (National Novel Writing Month) update: Well, I finished NaNo and it was a bit of a wild ride. Clocking in at 58,878 words, the last two being THE END, I wrote a YA (young adult) paranormal novel in a month. No vampires, I promise.
And it wasn't that hard.

I'm not saying it was easy, but in retrospect, all it really took was the concerted dedication of a certain number of hours, all in close proximity. And giving up TV for a month. And running away from home for 24 hours. I probably wouldn’t have had to run away if I hadn’t taken 10 days off from writing in the middle of November. Sheesh.

Ok, maybe it was a little hard. But man was it worth it!

Now I have another brand new, shiny novel under my belt, just screaming for revisions. But it's going to have to wait until the laundry pile is back down below epic size and, oh yeah, that other novel is polished up - you know, the Middle Grade Science Fiction one that's been laying fallow the past month? Yeah, that one.
But I'll be back to work on that YA novel, because it's nowhere near done. After lots of revisions and a few rinse cycles through my writing group and beta readers, it might be presentable. Because writing a novel takes a lot more than a month's worth of work, as any one who's done it will tell you.

In the meantime, I'm going to take a nap.

Or maybe write some blogs.

Reading Out an Author

Many people enjoy a certain author and find they like all of that author's books. This is especially true of genre writers, but also with more literary authors.

This is partially due to the author's Voice. Voice is something that writers continually struggle to master - it is the language, dialogue and mannerisms that make a character, or a book in general, have a distinctiveness that rings true. An author wants that 17 year old protagonist to sound like a teen, not a middle aged writer. Living inside your characters' heads is half the fun!

Children's books tend to have less distinct genres - not a lot of murder mysteries for the under 12 set, but there are many tiny sleuths searching for lost pets. And yet children, often more brand conscious than their parents, also find themselves enamored with certain writers. If you find a book that your child enjoys, take time to see what that author's "back list" looks like. They may have made the NY Times bestseller list with their latest novel, but I guarantee that's not the first novel they wrote. You may find many hidden gems sitting side by side on the library shelf, or in the Amazon.com catalogue, bearing the same name.

My kids often read-out an author long before they can get the next book out. Luckily there are more books to read! But creating excitement for when the "next" book comes out by a favored author is one way to build a life-long love of reading.