Bell, Juliet Kepler’s
Dream 256 pgs. Putnam
Juvenile, 2012. $11.55.
Rating: Violence G, Language PG, Mature Content: G
Rating: Violence G, Language PG, Mature Content: G
Ella is sent to stay with
her grandmother, whom she has never met, for a couple of months while her mother undergoes chemotherapy. Ell’s Grandmother isn’t a warm cookie baking “Grandma”,
instead she has a strange house full of “stuff”, which is surrounded by
hundreds of peacocks, and worst of all she spends more time with her books than
with people. When an expensive and rare book goes missing, Ella decides to find
it, and along the way gets to know her family and faces her fears.
I have been a bit sick of the ‘whole pre-teen learns life lessons and comes to grips with growing up’ theme and this one starts that way. But then it morphs into this really interesting and well put together mystery that really gives it a different spin. However, I just can’t, sigh, recommend it for a school library because Ella swears a lot using the term “insert expletive here”. While that technically means there is no swearing, its highly implied, and it would be a nightmare to be the Librarian to introduce this fun little term and its uses to a school full of mischievous minds!
EL – OPTIONAL Reviewer:
Stephanie MLS graduate & Author.
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2 comments:
I think that this would be a hard sell to students.
I agree. Then again I think that any book that fits this whole theme of a pre-teen coming to terms with life and growing up, are a pretty hard sell. Even for me, they feel like reading an school assignment/chore, so pre-teens must dread reading them. I keep reviewing books like this, so publishers and educators must love em. I just saw that this book was nominated for ALSC Notable Children’s Books awards -so that begs the question -Just who do these award groups have in mind when they create these lists? Sigh.
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