The Sword's Tip

The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles

2010-07-12T16:00:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted for nearly a year. Truth be told, I haven't read much for nearly a year, so there simply has been nothing to post. I had a rough year, as I took too many classes and had an amount of homework to match. Now that it's summer, and I am sufficiently recovered from this year's double dose of band camp, it occurred to me that perhaps a blog post was in order. So I picked out a new layout to suit me better, as I've changed a lot this year. Grown up a lot. I figured that the old layout belonged to the old me. Plus, blogger added more pre-made layouts, and they're pretty darn cool. I wound up going with this layout instead of the obvious, a bookshelf. But I think the picture of the old falling apart house has character. It's somehow otherworldly, and since I write a blog about fiction books, I think that makes a good match. Anyway, to get to the point...

The Last of The Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews Edwards

Believe it or not, whangdoodle is a real word. It's in the dictionary (although it is classified as slang, so I suppose their is room for debate). According to the foreword, the word whangdoodle is actually what inspired Julie Andrews to write this book. And what a book it is. It's one of my all time favorites. I love it so much that when I first discovered it in the fifth grade, I read it for nearly a week. Meaning I read the entire book, once a day. My teacher got pretty anoyed with me. (Apparently I needed to "branch out" and read something else. Hmph.) Anyway, this is one of the most creative and imaginitive books I've ever read. From flowers that smell like bread to a river that makes music to a bird that has so many feathers it can't fly in a straight line, this book is like playtime for your imagination or your dreams.

The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles is the story of three children, a professor of biology, and their journy across the wonderful world of Whangdoodleland, a place you can only get to through use of your imagination. Their goal is to meet the last whangdoodle, the lone survivor of a fanciful species. However, it seems the whangdoodle would prefer to remain isolated in his castle, and away from the humans who no longer believe in mystical creatures like himself, such as unicorns and dragons.

This book is for the most part an easy read, and appropriate for anyone about age six and up, although children of this age would require someone reading it to them. Don't think this book is only for little kids, though. I'm nearly 15 and still enjoy it immensely. If you still appreciate pure, solid imagination, then you never can be too old.

The best bit of advice from this book, whether taken literally or metaphorically: always remember to look up.

Dragonflight

2009-08-19T08:15:00.000-07:00

Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey is the first book in the Dragonriders of Pern series. In this science fiction novel, animals named dragons for their mythical look-alikes are the only way people on pern can survive. After consuming rocks containing phosphine the dragons could spit flame at the enemy - Thread. Threads were mycorrhizoid spores that came from the Red Star and would fall from the sky. If allowed to land, they would eat all organic matter in their path. Therefore, the dragons and the Weyrfolk who rode them had to turn them to ashes before they hit the ground.

Lessa, heir of Ruatha Hold, has been hiding out as a kitchen drudge for years. However, when F'lar comes to call on Search for a new Weyrwoman, she finds herself on a daring adventure to rescue Pern. For the threads will come, invited or not... and they don't bother to see if you're ready for them.

Fish

2009-08-03T10:13:00.000-07:00

The war is coming to the country where Tiger's parents are serving as aid workers. They have no choice but to pack some clothes and provisions and hotfoot it out of there. They find a guide, put their packs on his donkey, and start walking. But first, Tiger catches the fish in the puddle and puts it in a pot. The fish comes with them.

One might say that one little common fish in a puddle is not that important. Is not worth going out of your way to save. After all, there are a lot of fish in the world. But what about a fish that, other than you, your parents, and your guide, is the only thing left in your little village? For Tiger, what to do is obvious. Save the Fish.

In this book by L. S. Matthews, one could say that there are four people, a donkey, and a fish. I prefer to say that six people set off on a hike to the border, for the donkey is as smart as human and the fish, well... he reminds them of the true meaning of courage and survival.

I would recommend this book to any one 4th grade and up.

The Divide by Elizabeth Kay

2009-02-03T13:33:00.000-08:00

Felix is, for the most part, a normal boy. But he can’t run around, can’t exert himself. He mustn’t, because he has a rare heart disease and doesn’t know how long he’ll live. Felix passes out frequently, and he knows that one day he won’t regain consciousness.

Felix wants to see the Continental Divide. He wants to put one foot on the Atlantic side, one foot on the Pacific side. Unfortunately, on the hike up to the spot his parents notice he is tiring and want to turn back. Felix knows he should obey them, but it’s only a bit farther…

Felix sprints ahead, puts one foot on each side. As he stands split in half, he feels himself lose consciousness. When he wakes up he is still on the Divide, but his parents are gone, his surroundings different, and there is a strange feather lying on his chest. He assumes someone must have moved him… until a griffin shows up. Felix then begins a journey in a world not his own to find a cure for his disease, and maybe even do some good in this magical place. But how did he get here, and how can he get back home?

The books in this series are:

The Divide
Back to the Divide
Jinx on the Divide

all by Elizabeth Kay.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

2008-12-16T14:53:00.001-08:00

Sherlock Holmes – even the most uninformed person, upon hearing this name, will think of a great detective. But how many of us have actually read the stories?

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is much famed. Yet you really must read them to take in the full awe of Holmes’ logical reasoning. When Holmes solves a crime by a spot on the knee of someone’s pants or some such seemingly unimportant detail, all we can do is watch in wonder and keep reading.

I can’t provide a summary of this book because it is a collection of short stories. Each one is a work of genius, and quite interesting to read. I would recommend this book to anyone who would like a classic, unequaled read.

Beka Cooper - Terrier

2008-11-30T14:00:00.000-08:00

Terrier is the first book in the Beka Cooper series by Tamora Pierce. Tamora Pierce is my favorite author now. I still like Garth Nix’s writings, but I like Pierce’s even more. Terrier is her most recent book, and the sequel, Bloodhound, will be coming out in 2009. Some other series and books by Tamora Pierce are The Song of the Lioness Quartet, The Immortals Quartet, The Protector of the Small Quartet, Trickster’s Choice and its sequel, Trickster’s Queen. I have read them all at least twice. All of these books are interconnected and all are set in the realm of Tortall and neighboring countries. Pierce also has two series not set in Tortall, (but in a place quite similar) The Circle of Magic Quartet and The Circle Opens Quartet. These two series are also intertwined.

Beka Cooper is a girl who grew up in the Lower City, one of the eight districts of Corus, the capital of Tortall. The Lower City is the poorest part of town, and filled with pickpockets and murderers. When Beka turns in a troublesome gang to My Lord Provost, he takes a liking to her. Soon Beka finds herself moving from the Lower City to the Provost’s house in Patten district, along with her single mother, two brothers, and two sisters.

When Beka joins the Provost’s Guard, a police force commonly known as the Dogs, her sisters turn up their noses and sneer. They are training to be maids and seamstresses for nobility, and don’t understand why Beka would want to run around chasing Rats, the term for lawbreakers.

But Beka still counts herself as one of the Lower City folk, and will stop at nothing to protect them. When rumors of kidnappings and murders for money reach her ears, as an eager Puppy, or trainee, she’s on the scent. With the help of unhappy spirits and miniature tornados, Beka is determined to let nothing slip through her fingers. I would recommend this book to anyone middle school and up who would like an exciting read. Now I have to wait for the next book in the series…

Gone With the Wind

2008-11-29T18:39:00.000-08:00

I have met my match.

I was walking through the rows of books in the school library the other day, asking myself the immortal question one asks themselves in libraries – “Oh what shall I read now?” I swept my eyes over the neatly stacked volumes, but no titles or covers caught my eye. Then I spotted a book with a washed out cover that might have been yellow decades ago, and big, faded yet bold print proclaiming the title to be Gone With the Wind. Hmm. The eighth graders were reading that, right? Hmm….
And so, for the next WEEK AND A HALF I read. And read. And read some more. By the time I reached page 837, I was a wee bit irritated. Most books, I’ll read them in under a week, tops. Usually they take about 2 days. But this book…
Don’t get me wrong. It was an excellent book. It’s just that 1037 pages tend to take a while to read. For an impatient gal like me, waiting that long to find out the end is a lot to ask.

I repeat, I have met my match.

Gone With the Wind is an amazing book in the time of the Civil War. It is in the point of view of a southerner, which is interesting because we get to see the thoughts and beliefs of the losing side.
This book gives us the story of Scarlett O’Hara, a determined young woman with a fighting spirit. Scarlett doesn’t give a hoot about what people think, as long as she gets what she wants. Consequently, no one can stop her, not even her husband, when she decides to start a business. At a time when woman were expected to stay at home and respect their husbands, Scarlett ignores custom and does what she wishes. For Scarlett pledges allegiance to only one thing – the red dirt plantation where she grew up.

Note: The entire time I was reading this, my dad the Flymaster kept saying numerous variations of “My dear, I don’t give a damn.” Whenever my mother the Great Yogini tried to say it, the Flymaster would say “Shh! You’ll ruin the book for her!” Mystified and bemused, I continued reading the book. As a result, my first thought when I finished the book was “OH.”

The Dragon Heir and Tagging

2008-10-16T09:08:00.000-07:00

As a sort of follow-up to the previous post, I would like to note that I have finished reading the third book, The Dragon Heir. I had some difficulty getting in to the book at first, but the farther I got in the story, the better it got. By the time I finished, I had experienced a breathtaking finale. I would definitely recommend this book by Cinda Williams Chima. Just read the first two books, The Warrior Heir and The Wizard Heir first!

As for tagging... I have been tagged by Firefly, creator of the blog A Road from Douglas County. The idea is that you write seven random things about yourself and then link to seven blogs. Those seven blogs are then tagged. Anyway, I don't know seven blogs, but I do know a couple so I won't have the required amount there but I will have some.

Seven Random Things About Me

1) I knit all the time. In fact, I have been knitting so much this is my first blog post in a month. *gasp*

2)There is a standing joke that I was born in the wrong time period because I don't use electronics very much compared to most people my age. I scarcely even get on the computer. Except to blog.

3)I wear size 8 shoes. The facts are supposed to be random, right? :)

4)I did ballet for around 6 1/2 years but finally quit about 3 months ago. I now am playing tennis, and after 3 weeks of lessons I now can hit the ball over the net. Sometimes.

5)I am a vegetarian.

6)I am wearing 4 bracelets that I put on in early September and haven't bothered to take off since.

7) My favorite flavor of ice cream is mint chocolate chip. Yum!

A Few Blogs I Read

It's Lovely! I'll Take It! Can't... stop... laughing...pant....pant...

LushKnits The blog of one of my favorite knitting designers... I love her patterns!

Wool And More ... A fellow knitter.

Reflections from Sophie She just started. Also a fellow knitter, she was the one who taught me to knit.

The Warrior Heir

2008-09-17T16:18:00.000-07:00

It just occurred to me that sometime I ought to make a list of “Top Ten Books/Series I’ve Read” or something like that. In any case, this book would definitely be on there. The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima is AWSOME! Chima really has an excellent imagination. Never before have I come across the concept of a “Weir stone”. A Weir stone is a sort of magical inheritance. Without a Weir stone, a Weir (person with Weir stone) dies.

Jack was born without a Weir stone, so his Aunt Linda located a wizard named Jessamine Longbranch to surgically implant a Weir stone in him. Jack was born a wizard, one of the five types of Weir. His Aunt Linda therefore expected Jessamine Longbranch to implant a wizard’s stone. Longbranch had other ideas, however. She chose to place a warrior’s stone instead. This book is about what happened because of the mixed-up Weir stone, and a deadly Game that Jack can’t avoid.

I would recommend this book to anyone 5th grade and up. I also suggest its sequel, The Wizard Heir. I just found out that there is a third book, The Dragon Heir, which came out in August. I haven’t read it yet, but I can’t wait to stick my nose in it!

Later: I read The Dragon Heir! It was excellent!

Fablehaven

2008-09-07T10:53:00.000-07:00

New layout! Hope you like it!

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull is a fun filled adventure about a secret wildlife preserve. When Seth and Kendra come to visit their grandpa while their parents go on vacation, they are in for a shock. From angry fairies to tempting naiads, malicious demons to carefree satyrs, the surprises just keep coming… and coming…. and coming…

For awhile it seems like a fun visit (though with a few mishaps). But then, out of the blue, comes a whispering of the Evening Star. A foul organization, the Evening Star, wishes to take over the preserve, and many more like it, scattered throughout the world.

I really love this book with all its fantastical creatures and displays of magic. It is very imaginative and Mull really makes you feel like you are walking by the naiads’ pond, or calmly observing an illusion of butterflies that flock around a mirror to look at their reflection.

I would recommend this book to anyone 4th grade and up. But be careful as the sign proclaims in the front of the book:

“FABLEHAVEN
None
Who Enter
Will
Leave
Unchanged

Trespassers
Will Be
Turned To Stone”
Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

Chicks with Sticks (It's a purl thing)

2008-09-01T13:01:00.000-07:00

Alas. I had to return the books I mentioned in a previous post so now I can’t look in them to make sure I’ve spelled a character’s name right or gotten things in the right order. They all were awesome books, but I think my favorite was The Saint of Dragons by Jason Hightman. It was slightly easier than I’m used to, but not by all that much.

Anyway, when we returned the books we went ahead and picked up a load more. While walking down the row and ½ of books that is the teen section, I spotted this book called Chicks with Sticks (It’s a purl thing) by Elizabeth Lenhard. This isn’t really my type of book, me being the person who normally gets bored if there isn’t a dragon and knights in shining armor. Yet from the first page to the last, I loved it. It is hilarious! I laughed through nearly the entire book! The funniest part is that Ms. Lenhard is either obsessed with Lion Brand yarn or she struck a deal with them saying she would use the book to advertise the company. Granted, Lion Brand yarn is pretty good, and I have used it before with pleasure. If you need worsted weight though, I would buy Plymouth’s Jeanee. It feels cool knit up, is washable, and it’s cheap. Being a knitter myself, I understood more of the book than a non-knitter would. However, I think even a non-knitter would enjoy this book of friendship new and old.

This book is about Scottie, a high schooler who has just lost a favorite aunt. In her grief, she doesn’t know what to do. Then she remembers a certain ball of yarn and a pair of needles, bestowed upon her by an anguished relative. With her new knitting needles and that blue ball of yarn, Scottie soon finds herself in the nearest yarn shop. Unfortunately, her friends think this newfound interest is dorky, weird, and, most importantly, extremely UNCOOL. So naturally, when Scottie’s best friend Amanda marches into the yarn shop and starts knitting, it can be assumed that if you’ve got a pair of needles, anything can happen.

I definitely would suggest you read this book, even if you just get it for the two patterns at the back, both of which proclaim that you should use Lion Brand yarn. :)

A Wizard of the Earthsea

2008-08-19T10:04:00.001-07:00

A Wizard of the Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin is the tale of the young wizard Ged, whom from an early age showed extraordinary magical ability. His first display of this was when he saved his entire village by covering it with fog, so that the brutal invaders from Kargad could not find nor harm the villagers.

After this a wizard came and took him to be his apprentice, but it was not long before Ged was sent to a wizard’s school in Roke. There he met Jasper, a proud, rather big-headed boy a few years older then Ged. Eventually, he challenged Jasper to a contest of power. Jasper scoffed, obviously thinking himself better. To prove that he was powerful, Ged summoned a dead spirit. The remainder of the book is about Ged’s quest to put the malicious spirit back to sleep.

My grandmother who used to be a Language Arts/English teacher recommended this book to me ages ago, but I had some trouble finding it. This book is excellent. Ursula Le Guin’s writing style is unique but spellbinding, and definitely works well with this story.

Note: This is the first book in a series, but I don’t know how many books are in the series or what their titles are.

Treasure at the Heart of the Tanglewood

2008-08-14T16:54:00.000-07:00

After walking by this book for months at my school library, I finally picked it up from the town library and read it. I wish I had read it sooner! This intriguing book by Meredith Ann Pierce was excellent. I recommend you read this imaginative novel.

Hannah is a girl who lives on the edge of the Tanglewood, a forest feared by the nearby village. She is under the custody of an evil wizard who lives at the heart of the forest. Once a month, she is forced to make a drink for him from the plants that grow in her hair. Yet she does not rebel until a time when she forgets to make the drink, and the wizard brutally pulls the plants from her hair himself. After that Hannah was careful to give him weak drinks, because pulling all the plants from her hair weakened her. However, she still did not attempt escape until one of the knights spoke to her. Usually, the knights would ride their horses into the depths of the forest, and nothing anyone said or did could stop them. They never came back.
This is a story of Hannah’s quest to save the knight who spoke from a dreadful curse, and on the way find out who she is, for the wizard never told her, and she can’t remember.

Having been reading like crazy, here is a list of books that should be appearing on this blog in the near future:

A Wizard of the Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
The Saint of Dragons by Jason Hightman
Maddigan's Fantasia by Margaret Mahy
Fly by Night by Frances Hardinge (the title fits perfectly)
In the Stone Circle by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel
The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien (second in the Lord of the Rings)

The Wanderer

2008-08-02T14:11:00.000-07:00

The Wanderer by Sharon Creech is a book of overcoming fears, confronting memories, and facing your problems. It is a wonderful book for a smile and a personal view of a hectic journey across the sea. The way of writing is unlike any good books I’ve read before. However, Sharon Creech is so talented she can make the multiple points of view work, and work well in this Newberry Honor Book.

Our main character, Sophie, is a girl of opposites. She loves the ocean and always wants to be on a boat, but at the same time is deathly afraid of it. An orphan, Sophie has been adopted by a husband and wife living in the U.S.A. When her new cousins and uncles decide to take a trip across the sea, sailing from the U.S.A. to England in order to visit Bompie, (their grandfather) she hops on board. This is a tale of their voyage across the fearsome blue.

I suggest you read this book. The Wanderer is an amazing story. Rosalie, oh Rosalie!

The Last Treasure

2008-08-01T14:46:00.000-07:00

I have only read a single, slim book in the last two weeks or so. To be truthful, I have been reading various issues of National Geographic magazines, their dates ranging from 2001 to 2005, with gaps in the middle. My dad had gotten me a new subscription, but it had been a month at least and, well, I got desperate.

But then, out of the blue (or maybe the mailman’s bag) my first issue showed up just a day or two ago. Hallelujah! Yeehaw! Party!

The book I did read was The Last Treasure by Janet S. Anderson. It isn’t really the sort of book I tend to read (I like warrior maidens and dragons and whatnot) but it is still a good book. It gives us a glimpse of the Smith family, a family with one very determined ancestor – John Matthew Smith. John really just wants his family to be happy, but money is slowly but steadily running out and they family members are constantly quarrelling among themselves, single arguments lasting years, even decades. He recruits two cousins, fifth cousins to be exact, to find his last treasure. I suggest you read it. It’s pretty good. Read it now, in the heat of summer, when those blazing days of August keep us inside with our air conditioning and our ice cold drinks. Speaking of which, I would really like a lemonade…

The Fellowship of the Ring

2008-07-25T13:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning I finally finished The Fellowship of the Ring, which is the first book in The Lord of the Rings series. I read The Hobbit (a.k.a. There and Back Again) two years ago, but somehow never got around to reading The Lord of the Rings until now.

I found it a very interesting book, and I can’t wait to read the second one, but Dad says we don’t own it. Guess I have to go to the library…

If you haven’t read The Fellowship of the Ring, I suggest you try it. It is an excellent book and quite imaginative. Between the hobbits, dwarves and elves (I like the elves best) you won’t be able to put it down! Be sure to read The Hobbit first though, it comes before The Fellowship of the Ring chronologically.

Mister Monday

2008-07-14T18:00:00.001-07:00

I am a big fan of Garth Nix. He is my absolute favorite author! Nix recently came out with the newest book in his Keys to the Kingdom series, Superior Saturday. The previous five books are Mister Monday, Grim Tuesday, Drowned Wednesday, Sir Thursday, and Lady Friday.

Mister Monday is the first book. It gives us a well explained (and hard to put down) tale of magic and creation. Mister Monday also introduces us to the concept of the House, which is more or less the epicenter of the universe and home to the immortal Denizens and Piper’s Children.

Arthur, the main character, is an asthmatic. He is the adopted son of an extremely famous doctor and an equally celebrated musician. Arthur also is the chosen Rightful Heir of the Architect’s Will, though his parents have no idea whatsoever.

Suzy Turquoise Blue, a Piper’s Child, is employed as one of the ink fillers for Mister Monday and is Arthur’s friend. Without her, Arthur probably would be completely lost since he is a mortal from Earth and hasn’t the faintest idea what the House is.

The Will is a bossy, self-serving document intent on making Arthur the ruler of the House.

And the Architect? Well, she is the architect of all creation, but most Denizens and Piper’s Children don’t know anything other than that.

This book is aimed at preteens and teenagers, but would be appropriate for kids of at least 7 or 8 years of age, providing they have a high reading level.

Abhorsen

2008-07-07T14:57:00.000-07:00

Abhorsen is the final book in the Abhorsen/Old Kingdom Trilogy. In this book, the most important characters from the previous two books come together for a breath-taking finish. Lirael as an Abhorsen sets out to confront an ancient power, and the Disreputable Dog reveals another part of herself. I don’t think this book would be understood by someone who has not read the first two books. It is a conclusive book, it can’t stand alone. However, if you have read the other two books, Abhorsen is an exciting read and a wonderful and brilliant finale.

Sorry about the wait for this post. I got busy :)

Lirael

2008-06-29T07:57:00.000-07:00

Lirael – my favorite book in the Abhorsen/Old Kingdom Trilogy. Lirael is the second book in this series by Garth Nix. This book expands on the Old Kingdom, allowing readers to more fully understand the Clayr, and know who they are in detail.

Lirael is a Daughter of the Clayr, but she doesn’t look like one. She also doesn’t have the Sight, which is the magical ability to See into the future. The whole of Clayr life revolves around the Sight, but without it, Lirael is a bit of an outcast. Lirael doesn’t have any human friends, but instead has the Disreputable Dog, her companion and advisor.

Lirael is an amazing book! I love it, and I can’t help reading it again and again.

Sabriel

2008-06-28T09:05:00.000-07:00

Above are two different covers of Sabriel.

Sabriel is the first book in my favorite series EVER, The Abhorsen Trilogy (a.k.a. The Old Kingdom Trilogy). This book is about an 18 year old girl at a boarding school in Ancelstierre. Ancelstierre is a kingdom of science and logic, bordering the Old Kingdom, a place of magic – and the Dead. Sabriel ventures into the Old Kingdom in an attempt to save her father who is trapped in Death, though is not yet dead.

Sabriel is written by Garth Nix (the world’s best author). The book is followed by Lirael and Abhorsen. I found Sabriel to be a captivating novel. To be truthful, the first time I read it I gave myself a headache because I read it so quickly! I simply couldn't put it down. I would suggest you try this book, it is excellent!

Keys to the Kingdom fans! Superior Saturday is coming out on July 7!