Molly Grue's profile

The entertaining musings of a lovesick wereowl, January 5, 2010

This is a very interesting and compelling little book with an unusual theme---teen angst from the perspective of a genuine outsider. In the throes of a schoolgirl crush on her biology teacher, Mr. Lindstrom, Owl finds herself drawn into new and unfamiliar situations. While wise in the ways of her world, Owl is baffled by the actions and motives of the humans that surround her, but needs their help to pursue her goals---goals that alter so gradually that the reader is aware of the changes before Owl is.

I would have given this book five stars, but I did think the tale could have concluded a bit more slowly. It's not an abrupt ending, but it is a bit brief and tidy, and when… Read more

Give this book a Newbery Award!, October 31, 2009

At the end of the 19th century, eleven year old Calpurnia Tate is the middle child and only girl in a family of seven children. Her family is respected and well off, pillars of society in their rural Texas town, but Calpurnia is dissatisfied with the feminine pursuits her mother approves of, as well as the narrow trajectory planned for her future. Curiosity about the natural world leads her to forge a bond with her paternal grandfather, a man who dutifully spent his youth in service to his family and country, and is now spending his final years on earth cultivating his own interests. These interests include a thorough study of nature, and to the despair of her gentle mother, Calpurnia is… Read more

Meh for Mediocre, September 22, 2009

This is a juvenile fantasy novel about two sets of siblings, Henry and Emma O'Dell (ages nine and six), and Roy and Susan Levy (ages nine and eleven), who are next door neighbors in Quiet Falls, Iowa. Although one is quiet and bookish and the other athletic and impulsive, the two boys are best friends, while Emma is sweetly childish. Susan, who has been scorning juvenile pursuits, has been asked to keep her eye on all three all summer, as both sets of parents are conveniently unavailable most of the time.

The children's adventures begin when they discover an ancient stone wall at the end of a dirt road in the middle of some cornfields. A lucky accident and a bit of… Read more