Swashbuckling action

What is a swashbuckling adventure starts in the most unlikely of places...a pet shop.  There, a very small mouse named Hopper, his sister, and their frail little brother break out to avoid becoming food for a snake.  This is where things get really exciting in Mouseheart by Lisa Fiedler.

Hopper is washed into the subway system below where he is rescued and bright to Atlantia.  Atlantia is a seemingly peaceful rat city, that even enjoys the protection of cats!  He finds that all in the "perfect" rat city is not as it seems.  There are rebels trying to overthrow the ruler, cats with a nefarious deal that keeps the peace, and a prophecy the Hopper just might be the mouse to fulfill.  He must find his place in this battle.

This story is great fun!  Battles, intrigue, evil kings, courageous fighters...and unexpected twists.  Read this if you enjoyed The Tale of Despereaux.

Relive the Cold War

The cover of Countdown by Deborah Wiles shows a 45 record in all its glory.  One might believe it was a study in pop music.  However, the first 16 pages give a clue that this book may have a slightly different take. These pages show photographs of President Kennedy and Nikta Khrushchev, a mushroom cloud, and of students practicing ducking under their school desks.  Thiis story is set at the height of the Cuban Missle Crisis.

The story revolves around eleven-year-old Franny Chapman, whose dad happens to fly Air Force One. She has a younger brother that can do no wrong, an older sister at college who seems to have a secret, and a crazy uncle that lives with her family.  On top of all this, she feels completely insignificant.  Her teacher overlooks her, and her best friend is not speaking to her.  She is dealing with normal anxieties, with the fear of nuclear annihilation hanging over her head.  It takes a near tragedy for her to discover her true friends and her own strength.

What makes this book more than just a coming-of-age story is there are real artifacts peppered throughout.  Photos, newspaper articles, and advertisements of the era bring the age to life.  My one problem is that the pages of pictures brought me out of the story, at times it interrupted, rather than enhanced, the narrative.