What Would Harry Read?

Ron #5 - The Lambkins

Take one musical prodigy, add a baseball player who dreams of being an author, a promising painter, an adorable Shirley Temple-type little girl, and a dog, then mix in a demented woman who unfortunately possesses both a genetic concoction for shrinking people and a replica doll house of her own home, and you've got the strange, twisted book The Lambkins. One things for sure: The Lambkins really drives home the message “Don’t Talk to Strangers.” After reading this book kids will know why: Because they might throw you in their car trunk, take you home, shrink you and make you their living doll, that’s why!

This is exactly what happens to 14-year old Kyle on his way home from art class one evening.  When he reluctantly agrees to help a unknown woman with her flat tire, the last thing he expects is to be kidnapped. But the next thing he knows he is in a strange house with Mcnamara, Tanya, Lulu and Pippy being taken care of by what he assumes is a giant. The other captive kids, who’ve been there much longer than him, inform him that no, crazy Mrs Shepherd isn’t big, they’re little! To make matters worse Mrs Shepherd has a terrible temper and has already killed one of her lambkins, a singer named John. Kyle begins planning their escape—can they flush themselves down the tiny toilet? Stab her with doll-sized knives and forks? Things look pretty bleak until they discover a leaky pipe in the basement near their doll house...

What would Ron think about this book? He’d think it was a blast! Having personal experience with transformation, invisibility and giants, he’d get a kick out of their wacky predicament. And knowing Ron he’d have all sorts of ideas about how he would not only escape the doll house and defeat the nasty lady but also get the girl!

Step into the doll house yourself and read a chapter excerpt here.

Hermione #5 - Warriors: The New Prophecy #1: Midnight

This week's entry for Hermione was written by the delightful and talented book blogger, Kaliana, of The Written World and Twisted Kingdom.

Cat lovers everywhere rejoice in the wonder that is the Warriors series by Erin Hunter.  Midnight is part of The New Prophecy series that follows on the success of the original Warrior series.  In the beginning, there are a lot of cats, as Hunter goes very far to assure that all the members of the cat clan are mentioned, but as the story progresses the main characters take the forefront.  This is a story of Brambleclaw and his clan, the Thunderclan.   

One night in a dream a deceased wildcat comes to him to say that the wildcats are in danger, and that it is up to him and three other cats to save all the clan cats.  Brambleclaw writes it off as just a dream, though, until he learns that three other cats from the other three clans, ShadowClan, WindClan and RiverClan, had the same dream.  Clans live in relative peace with one another, but to be called on to work together so closely is a rare thing, especially when the four chosen ones are just regular members of the Clans and not the leaders that they believe should be receiving the prophecies.

In this book, readers get the chance to join Brambleclaw and the clan chief's daughter, Squirrelpaw, from ThunderClan.  Squirrelpaw was not one of the chosen ones, but you try and tell her that.  Joined by Tawnypelt, Brambleclaw's sister from another clan, Crowpaw, and Feathertail, as well as Stormfur, Feathertail's brother, who refuses to be left behind.  These six cats set on an adventure to reach a place that they are not even sure exists and they believe that when they get there, midnight will reveal the truth behind the prophecies.

If the adventure aspect of this young adult book are not enough for you, you also get to look forward to seeing the world through the eyes of a cat.  I believe that Hunter does a very good job thinking like a cat does, and the words that the cats use to describe the human world are comical and fitting. It's one of those books that will have you waiting impatiently to read book two in order to find out what happens to these cats next.

Why would Hermione read this book?  That's simple: Squirrelpaw.  Squirrelpaw may be a cat, but as I was reading the book I found that she strongly reminded me of the Hermione we all know and love.  They are both very strong female characters, and both good at finding trouble.  Hermione might have the persona that breaking the rules is a bad thing, while Squirrelpaw seems to welcome it, but they still act very similar to each other.  Squirrelpaw is also bold and sassy and she does not take any trouble from the male members of the group; she is her own boss.  Quite like Hermione, I think.

Ron #4 - Skulduggery Pleasant

So how would you feel if your favourite uncle suddenly dies and then leaves you, well, everything? I mean, it’s sad that he’s died, and obviously tragic, but kind of cool to be twelve years old and own an entire house! Well, that’s the position that Stephanie finds herself in when her uncle Gordon dies and leaves her his giant mansion. While alive, her uncle was a writer, and found himself involved with all sorts of interesting characters, including a very mysterious stranger who shows up both at his funeral and the reading of his will.

Spectacularly dressed in a top-notch suit with an awesome hat atop his (for lack of a better word) head, Skulduggery Pleasant introduces himself to Stephanie as a detective. But Skulduggery's not just any kind of detective. Oh no, he's part of a whole magical world that Stephanie finds herself smack in the middle of when it’s discovered there may have been other forces at work in terms of her uncle’s untimely death.

And as Stephanie discovers, Skulduggery is even more than a detective: he’s a skeleton! That’s right, he’s a walking, talking, fire-throwing magical skeleton who, through the course of the book, allows Stephanie to become his partner.  And what a ride it is.  As they battle vampires (scary!) and Hollow Men (even scarier) to fight off an evil that might even make Ron quake in his boots, Stephanie comes to understand a lot more about not only herself, but her family as well.

Why would Ron like Derek Landy’s Skulduggery Pleasant?  For many reasons, I think.  For one, he might have a kick-ass crush on Stephanie: she’s talented, smart and funny. Also, he might enjoy thinking about inheriting a house where he’d be all by himself, no Ginny, no pesky brothers, and no parents sending embarrassing packages via owl. But best of all, with Ron already being familiar with the world of magic, the idea of a skeletal detective might not be all that shocking in his world.  I’m sure he’d pal around with the likes of Skulduggery Pleasant himself.

And why don't you see for yourself what you think of Skulduggery Pleasant. Read a chapter here.

Hermione #4 - Dramacon

A weekend at the Lakeside comic book convention is in many ways like a trip on the fictional Love Boat of the 1970s. You arrive with great expectations, meet an interesting cast of characters, have some wacky mishaps, perhaps fall in love, grow a little as a person and a couple days later with some tacky souvenirs you return to your regular life.

In Dramacon, by Canadian author Svetlana Chmakova, Christie, a comic book writer, is nervous about her first comic-con. She arrives with her hot-headed boyfriend, Derek, to promote their comic, Wary City. Christie’s personality is very different than that of her boyfriend and their convention roommates; she's more timid and less confrontational. Her instinct is to flee not to fight.

So it isn’t a big surprise when finally fed up by her lecherous boyfriend’s overtures towards other women, Christie takes off into the chaos of the con. In the crowd she crashes into the tall, dark and  mysterious Matt, who never removes his sunglasses. Without thinking Christie throws herself into his arms and cries over all her problems with her boyfriend. Matt gives advice–challenging Christie to stand up for herself. 

When Christie is with Matt she behaves like a different person—she’s witty, sarcastic and confident. She acts as though she is comfortable being herself and isn’t trying to be please others. Matt isn’t portrayed as perfect: he’s too pushy sometimes and asks very direct questions. But it is clear to the reader that his intentions are good and that he sees something in Christie that she has buried and hidden from others. Unfortunately for Matt when he does push Christie too far with his comments she rips his sunglasses off him in anger (assuming he’s just a pretentious fashion dude) and finds out why he wears them. Oops.

The convention starts looking up for Christie on day two when she gets an opportunity to meet one of her manga idols and makes friends with other convention attendees. But that evening, at a crowded dance, Christie and Matt get a little too close for Derek’s liking and he ends up very angry. After consuming some of their older friends’ alcohol, Derek’s actions get out of control and Christie flees to her new friends. On the bright side (this is a comedy!) Christie finally stands up to Derek and shows she has a backbone after all!

Will Christie and Matt get together? Does Christie have a future as a writer? Will she find a new artist to replace Derek? You'll have to stay tuned for Dramacon #2 to find out!

Why would Hermione like Dramacon? As someone who roots for the underdog, who fights injustice at every opportunity, who wants girls to be treated as equals to boys yet has a romantic side, this is the perfect book for Hermione. She’d delight in Christie’s transformation and would be as in love with Matt as the rest of us.

Want to see Dramacon for yourself? Check out a preview here.

 

Harry #3 - Sabriel

Late one night at Wyverly College (for young ladies of quality), eighteen-year-old Sabriel receives an ominous delivery—her father’s tools of the necromancy trade. That can only mean that her father is either dead or being held hostage somewhere in the realms of death. Luckily Sabriel has spent years studying magic and necromancy so she bravely takes his bells and sword, and then plunges into the terrifying Old Kingdom to find her father.

“Death? Necromancy?” you say? Now don’t be scared yet, it only gets worse!

In Sabriel, the first of Garth Nix’s Abhorsen trilogy, an Abhorsen is a powerful mage who uses dangerous free magic and the more benevolent charter magic to bind the dead—that is, he makes sure the dead stay dead. In the Old Kingdom, where Sabriel was born, free magic abounds and the dead often roam free, sometimes as zombie-type creatures called “Shadow Hands.” To bind the dead, an Abhorsen must enter Death, a creepy underworld realm with many levels, where one misstep could spell disaster with a capital D!

Upon receiving her father’s sword and his bandolier of bells, Sabriel makes the dangerous trek to the Abhorsen’s cottage deep in the Old Kingdom. Once there she encounters the white cat Moggett, a potentially dangerous being kept in-line only by the magic collar he wears. Sabriel is cautioned to never remove this collar! Hmmm…do you think she listens to this warning?

On their journey to find the Abhorsen, Moggett and Sabriel meet up with Touchstone, who has been imprisoned in the wooden figurehead of a ship for more than two centuries. After he is freed he continues with them on their journey. Touchstone has some secrets and hidden shame that make him very mysterious and somewhat irresistible.  The mysteries of his past are tied to the Greater Dead Kerrigor and the disappearance of the Abhorsen.

Harry would definitely read Sabriel. He would identify strongly with the character of Sabriel as both are faced with an undeniable destiny. They must confront their fears to fight evil and protect the ones they love. The scenes in the underworld of death are reminiscent of Harry’s tri-wizard tournament adventures, something he might not want to remember, but again something he could relate to!

If you think you're brave enough to enter the Old Kingdom, check out the chapter excerpt here.