Garmann's Summer

Author: Stian Hole
Age: 5+
Rating: 5/5

About: Summer is almost over which means that 6 year old Garmann will start school for the first time. But he's nervous and a little scared, and he still has all of his baby teeth. And like every summer, his three elderly Aunties are coming to visit. This year, Garmann wonders if they are afraid of anything?

Thoughts:

"Every year the aunts come for a few days,

bringing rheumatism, hernias, and almond tart." 

p. 2

I love the writing. Mostly simple sentences, which are perfect because the story is about a six year old and his ideas and wonderings. It has an interesting balance between jadedness or skepticism and innocence. Or maybe it is the balance between such a serious yet honest question in relation to the unique illustrations, but I thought it quite poetic.

This story was thoughtful and charming and interesting. Garmann asks two big questions like"what are you afraid of" and "are you afraid to die?" The answers that the Aunties and his parents give are all a little different, and while they make him feel better -he's still scared.
But that's okay -aren't we all?

I want to own this.

The Graveyard Book

Author: Neil Gaiman
Rating:4/5
Ages: 9+

Summary:
Bod was adopted as a baby, and has grown into a normal boy. As normal as a boy who was adopted and raised by ghosts that is. He lives in an old and sprawling graveyard, and only has only ever met one other living person, well half-living, and that is his mysterious guardian Silas. Bod's adventures in and around (and below) the graveyard will not leave you bored.

Thoughts:
I read this a few years ago, and I admit I'm a little foggy on the details of my first impressions of the book. I do know that enjoyed reading this book, and that it was fun to read about Bod's adventures growing up in a graveyard -learning the secrets of ghosts, venturing where he was told never to go, even the loneliness the first time he makes a wholly human friend. This was a good adventure with a little bit of mystery and darkness.

The thing that still stands out for me is the character Silas. We never do learn very much about him, just that he lives in both worlds, ghost and human. I would love it if Gaiman wrote a companion novel just about Silas and his adventures, or history.

Baboon

Author: David Jones
Age: Grade 5+
Rating: 5/5

About: Gerry's parents are scientists. They study baboons on the Africa savannah for 6 months of the year, and they always bring Gerry with them. Though he's not too thrilled about it. But things get worse for him before they get better. On their way to their new camp, the plane flies into a lightning storm and the plane crashes. Gerry is thrown from the plane. When he wakes he's a baboon.

Thoughts: This is one of the hottest books from my list. It's been checked out all summer so far.

I really liked this one. I was hooked from the point of the plane crash, which is a few pages in. It's got some creepiness -faceless baboons in some dream sequences. It's tense -especially when he begins to realize that the longer he's a baboon the more he forgets about being a person. And it is clear that the author is passionate about baboons and did some considerable research for this book. All this combined with his efforts to survive and become human again make this book great for recommending.

Plus it's less than 200 pages, but doesn't feel rushed so it's great to sell to reluctant readers.