Author Archives: Hugh H.

The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo

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The Tiger Rising was written by award-winning author Kate DiCamillo. The story takes place in Florida. The main character is a twelve-year-old boy named Rob Horton who is struggling with his emotions after his mother’s death. Living in a small town with his father, Rob feels lost and alone. His life changes when he finds a tiger locked in a cage in the woods, which mirrors his own feelings of being trapped and unable to express himself. As Rob navigates his grief, he meets Sistine Bailey, a new girl in town who becomes an important friend. Sistine is also mistreated by other children at school.  Together, Rob and Sistine bond over their shared pain and the tiger they both care about. Sistine helps Rob to face his emotions and think about what it means to be free, both for himself and for the tiger.

Although this book is short, I enjoyed it very much. The story is simple but powerful. It deals with the struggles of dealing with loss and grief, while expressing feelings of freedom and hope. The characters are highly complex and realistic. Through their development, DiCamillo teaches lessons about how to cope with death and isolation, and about the consequences of keeping emotions bottled up. I believe that most people can relate to the feelings expressed in this book, and learn from its lessons. DiCamillo is an excellent author, and this book is a great example of her ability to communicate deep emotions and the power of loving relationships. This is a very poignant book that I would recommend to anyone.

The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo is available to download for free from Libby.

Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Cleary

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Ramona and Her Father is a Newbery Honor-award winning book by Beverly Cleary. The story is about a seven-year-old girl named Ramona Quimby. Ramona loves spending time with her father. He buys her gifts and enjoys taking his family out to eat on every payday. However, everything changes when Ramona’s father loses his job. Ramona needs to cope with her family’s financial struggles and her father’s emotional turmoil. Throughout the book, Ramona tries to understand the complexities of adult problems while dealing with her own personal challenges.

This is a short book, but I enjoyed it very much. The characters, and the challenges they go though, are surprisingly realistic. Ramona is particularly likable in this book, as she is in many other Beverly Cleary books. This story is quite enjoyable and I think it could even be considered inspiring. It warns of the dangers of addiction but also teaches how to respond to difficult situations. I appreciate Ramona’s childlike perspective on financial hardship and emotional struggles, and her sincere efforts to make things better for her family.

I enjoyed this book so much that I read it in almost one sitting. I was captivated by the way this book addressed real-life problems from the perspective of an innocent child. Ramona gets into trouble sometimes but she has good intentions. Many things happen in the story that are quite amusing and entertaining, which is typical of Beverly Cleary’s books. This is a charming book and I would definitely recommend it to readers of all ages.

Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Cleary is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson

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The Great Gilly Hopkins is a Newbery Honor award-winning book by Katherine Paterson. The story is told from the perspective of eleven-year-old Gilly Hopkins. Gilly is a foster child who idolizes her birth mother and wants to live with her again. Life has been difficult for Gilly because she has been forced to live with many different foster families instead of with her birth mother. Gilly is intelligent but difficult to manage. She takes her anger and frustration out on others and does not get along well with her foster families. Gilly has developed a reputation for being rude and uncooperative, and her behavior only seems to be getting worse.

As the story begins, Gilly is sent to live with yet another foster family. Her new foster mother is Mrs. Trotter. Trotter is different from the other foster mothers that Gilly has lived with, but Gilly is determined to escape from this new foster home. She comes up with a plan to try to get her birth mother to come and take her away from Trotter. The scheme does not go as planned, but Gilly comes to realize that the Trotter home is not so bad after all.

This book is quite well-written. The characters are interesting and the story is entertaining. However, I did not enjoy everything about this book. I found Gilly to be quite annoying and even unlikeable at times, although her misbehavior is an important element of the story. Also, Gilly sometimes uses inappropriate and offensive language that I did not appreciate for a children’s novel, even though Gilly and the other characters are portrayed in a very realistic way.

Overall, this book flows well and is quite engaging. Despite Gilly’s brash behavior and improper language, I sympathized with her challenges. Her rudeness and anger seem to be natural reactions to the difficult circumstances of her life. I appreciate that this book also includes kind and loving characters who demonstrate patience toward Gilly. This book shows that there are good people in the world, despite all of the bad things that can happen.

The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Libby.

The Second Mrs. Giaconda by E.L. Konigsberg

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The Second Mrs. Giaconda, by E.L. Konigsberg, is a historical novel featuring Leonardo da Vinci and the background of his famous painting, the Mona Lisa. The story is told from the perspective of Leonardo’s apprentice, Salai. Before meeting Leonardo, Salai was a liar and a thief. Leonardo catches Salai in the act of stealing, but does not punish him. Leonardo realizes that Salai and his family are living in poverty. Moved by compassion, Leonardo takes in Salai as an apprentice.

Soon after Salai is made an apprentice, it becomes apparent that Leonardo favors him over his other apprentices. A bond develops between the master and the apprentice that becomes stronger through the many hardships that they endure together. After a surprising turn of events, this relationship ultimately leads to the painting of the Mona Lisa.

This is a short novel, but I enjoyed it very much. Even though the story is fictional, it seems realistic. It gives a sense of what life was like during the Renaissance. I think that this book conveys the emotions of the characters very well. I was especially impressed by the development of the character of Leonardo da Vinci, but I enjoyed the other characters as well. 

Overall, I found this book to be very compelling. The plot twists are intriguing, and surprisingly complex for such a short book. The story also teaches good lessons, such as the dangers of wealth and materialism. This book is very entertaining, and I would recommend it to anyone.

The Mouse with the Question Mark Tail by Richard Peck

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The Mouse with the Question Mark Tail is a novel by acclaimed author Richard Peck. The story is told from the perspective of a young orphaned mouse. He lives with his aunt in London, in a place near Buckingham Palace called Royal Mews.  Everything about his life is a question mark. He does not know anything about his parents, and he does not know his own name. His tail is even naturally shaped in the form of a question mark. He is much smaller than other mice his age, so people start calling him “Mouse Minor.”

Life is difficult for Mouse Minor. On his first day of school at the Royal Mews Mouse Academy, he is bullied by bigger mice. The bullying gets worse over time, so he tries to escape from the school. However, he is discovered by humans who are amazed to find a mouse dressed in a school uniform. This triggers a series of events that leads to a wild and exciting adventure, which will ultimately reveal the secret of Mouse Minor’s identity.

I really enjoy the characters in this book. My favorite character is Mouse Minor himself, but I like the other characters as well. Mouse Minor makes a friend named Ian, and I like how well they get along together. I also think this book flows really well. The story is full of twists and surprises. It is also surprisingly realistic, even though the story is about human-like mice. It reminds me of another favorite book of mine, which is Kate DiCamillo’s The Tale of Despereaux. Both books are quite similar and extremely enjoyable to read. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone.

The Mouse with the Question Mark Tail by Richard Peck is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Libby. 

The Corn Grows Ripe by Dorothy Rhoads

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The Corn Grows Ripe is a charming book by Dorothy Rhoads. The story takes place in a Mayan village. The main character is a 12-year-old boy named Dionisio. Everyone calls him by his nickname, “Tigre,” which means jaguar. At the beginning of the story, Tigre often oversleeps and is accused of laziness. One day, his father has an accident and breaks his leg. This is devastating to Tigre’s family, because they depend on his father to plant a cornfield every year for food. Tigre’s father cannot do the work this year because of his injury. Tigre realizes that he may need to find a way to plant the cornfield himself. Tigre has never accomplished such a difficult task before, but he knows that his family is depending on him to rise to the challenge.

This book is quite short, but I enjoyed it. I found it interesting to learn about Mayan culture from this story. The story seemed realistic to me, and I believed that the events could have actually happened. I especially appreciated the family relationships. The story seems to be about a real family struggling with real problems. I also appreciated the moral lessons of this book. Tigre learns to overcome adversity through strength and courage. By working hard, he learns to develop the same attributes as his father.

This is a Newbery Honor award-winning book, and I believe that it deserves that honor. The book flows well and is enjoyable to read. It also teaches many historical facts about Mayan culture. I think that this book is a good way to learn a fascinating culture while also learning about good values, such as courage and hard work. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in a short but enjoyable read.

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart

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The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey was written by Trenton Lee Stewart. This is the second book in his Mysterious Benedict Society series. The main characters of the story are children named Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance. The four friends learn that Mr. Benedict and his adopted daughter, called Number Two, have been taken captive by Mr. Benedict’s evil twin, Mr. Curtain. Mr. Curtain leaves a note explaining that he wants the four children to find a rare plant. After solving a series of riddles, the children find themselves on the fastest ship in the world, headed toward Europe. Kate’s father, Milligan, follows after the children. Milligan protects the children and helps them during their search for Mr. Benedict and Number Two. They encounter many dangerous situations along the way, and they must solve many tricky puzzles to rescue their missing friends.

One of my favorite things about this book is the high adventure experienced by the children. I also really enjoyed the suspense and excitement throughout the story. I liked learning more about the main characters and their development, as well as the many new characters who were introduced in this book. I really enjoyed reading about the four main children who have very different opinions and personalities but are still able to support each other and work together despite these differences. 

This is one of my favorite books. This book was satisfying to read on its own, but it definitely made me want to read the rest of the series. I would recommend reading the first book in the series before reading this book. I would highly recommend the entire series to everyone.

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

The Secret Keepers by Trenton Lee Stewart

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The Secret Keepers is a novel by Trenton Lee Stewart.  Stewart is well-known for writing the Mysterious Benedict Society series, but this is a stand-alone book.  The story is about a boy named Reuben who lives alone with his mother.  His mother works multiple jobs just to make ends meet, while Reuben spends much of his time roaming the streets.  One day, Reuben finds a mysterious antique watch.  At first, Reuben plans to sell the watch so that he can provide some financial support for his mother.  However, he soon discovers that the watch has magical powers.  This discovery is exciting, but it also leads to a dangerous series of events.  A villain called “The Smoke” threatens to steal the watch from Reuben.  Reuben finds himself in a race against time to stop The Smoke from executing his sinister plan.

One of my favorites elements of this book is the characters themselves.  They are very interesting and well-developed.  I enjoyed learning about their backgrounds as the story progressed.  I also enjoyed the mystery of this story.  The plot includes many twists and turns, and several surprises.  The magical aspects of the story give it a surreal feeling that I enjoyed very much.  Overall, the book is very engaging throughout, and I often felt anxious to find out what would happen next.

I am a big fan of the Mysterious Benedict Society series, which led me to this book.  Even though this book is based in a different universe, I found it just as enjoyable as the Mysterious Benedict Society books.  The story is highly adventurous and suspenseful.  I would highly recommend this book, especially to anyone who enjoys Stewart’s other books.

The Secret Keepers by Trenton Lee Stewart is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.