Explorer: The Mystery Boxes

by Kazu Kibuishi  (Editor)

WHAT'S IN THE BOX?

Find out in these seven clever stories by eight incredible comics creators!

Under the Floorboards by Emily Carroll
A box, a doll...but it's no ordinary plaything!

Spring Cleaning by Dave Roman & Raina Telgemeier
There really is mystery in the back of a messy closet!

The Keeper's Treasure by Jason Caffoe
A treasure inside a labyrinth inside a temple which way to turn now?

The Butter Thief by Rad Sechrist
There's more than one way to trap a house spirit!

The Soldier's Daughter by Stuart Livingston
There are mysteries of life and death--and beyond.

Whatzit by Johane Matte
Oh no, not that box! Watch out, little alien!

The Escape Option by Kazu Kibuishi
A strange, meteoric box and an otherworldly choice.
(retrieved from goodreads.com)

Creative stories and beautiful illustrations. This is a great collection of tales for all ages.

Hoot

by Carl Hiaasen

The site of Coconut Cove's future Mother Paula's All-American Pancake House is experiencing a slight problem: survey stakes removed, alligators in the port-a-potties, and painted-over patrol cars. But who's behind the clever vandalism and pranks? New Florida resident Roy Eberhardt isn't aware of these goings-on, but he has often noticed a barefoot boy running down the street faster than anything. His curiosity piqued, Roy starts to inquire around and even follows the boy once, only to be told by Beatrice Leep, a.k.a. Beatrice the Bear, to mind his own business. Despite Beatrice's warning and plenty of bullying from the lunkheaded Dana Matherson, Roy follows the boy, whose name is Mullet Fingers, one day and winds up in the middle of an ecological mission to save a parliament of burrowing owls from being bulldozed.
(Summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

I've always loved Hiassen's book for adults, but--unless I'm mistaken--this was his first aimed at a younger audience. I loved this one too. It's a great story on its own, but it also raised awareness about many environmental issues in Florida, especially concerning wildlife and the Everglades. Happy reading :)

Bluffton

by Matt Phelan

Matt Phelan, graphic novelist extraordinaire, presents a rollicking tribute to vaudeville, small-town dreams, and Buster Keaton as a boy.

In the summer of 1908, in Muskegon, Michigan, a visiting troupe of vaudeville performers is about the most exciting thing since baseball. They’re summering in nearby Bluffton, so Henry has a few months to ogle the elephant and the zebra, the tightrope walkers and — lo and behold — a slapstick actor his own age named Buster Keaton. The show folk say Buster is indestructible; his father throws him around as part of the act and the audience roars, while Buster never cracks a smile. Henry longs to learn to take a fall like Buster, "the human mop," but Buster just wants to play ball with Henry and his friends. With signature nostalgia, Scott O’Dell Award–winning graphic novelist Matt Phelan visualizes a bygone era with lustrous color, dynamic lines, and flawless dramatic pacing.
(Summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

Looking after children is really difficult, but it's books like this that make keeping a child entertained both easy and a pleasure. Especially since it is great for the reader as well. The illustrations are stunning and the story has a great combo of themes including history, friendship, childhood summer magic, the circus, and young love.

White Oleander

by Janet Fitch

When Astrid's mother [Ingrid], a beautiful, headstrong poet, murders a former lover and is imprisoned for life, Astrid becomes one of the thousands of foster children in Los Angeles. As she navigates this new reality, Astrid finds strength in her unshakable certainty of her own worth and her unfettered sense of the absurd.
(summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

This book reads like a poem. It's hard to write anything about this book without being afraid one sounds simplistic and banal; afraid Ingrid would roll her eyes and dismiss me as trite. Simply put, I'd been waiting so long for this story without even knowing it. I love the fierce unapologetic women and the magnificent sense of perspective they offer. Definitely falls into the "Just Read It" category.

A Wizard of Earthsea (Earthsea Cycle #1)

by Ursula K. Le Guin

Ged, the greatest sorcerer in all Earthsea, was called Sparrowhawk in his reckless youth.

Hungry for power and knowledge, Sparrowhawk tampered with long-held secrets and loosed a terrible shadow upon the world. This is the tale of his testing, how he mastered the mighty words of power, tamed an ancient dragon, and crossed death's threshold to restore the balance.
(summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

I read this book years ago, but I recently saw the first three of four out on the sidewalk for anyone to take. I quickly scooped them up and shoved them into by dear boyfriend's loving--paper-cut-free!--arms saying "just read 'em!" Few books emphasize so perfectly the power of words and the power we gain from using the right ones at the right times. A tale of magic, mystery, mistakes, development, and friendship, this is a great first story in a captivating series.

The Gates (Samuel Johnson vs. the Devil #1)

by John Connolly

Young Samuel Johnson and his dachshund, Boswell, are trying to show initiative by trick-or-treating a full three days before Halloween which is how they come to witness strange goings-on at 666 Crowley Road. The Abernathys don't mean any harm by their flirtation with the underworld, but when they unknowingly call forth Satan himself, they create a gap in the universe. A gap in which a pair of enormous gates is visible. The gates to Hell. And there are some pretty terrifying beings just itching to get out...

Can one small boy defeat evil? Can he harness the power of science, faith, and love to save the world as we know it?
(Summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

I usually have no stomach for anything I even think might be scary, but this book--and it's pair--were incredible. There's a great balance of science and fantasy, funny and scary. Samuel is a wonderfully well-rounded character and the story is very well-developed too. It was also refreshing to see that while there is that child-adult divide that's often present in fantastical literature, there were also times when children and their parents worked together which is pretty rare to see in the genre.

Witch Week (Chrestomanci #3)

by Diana Wynne Jones

SOMEONE IN THIS CLASS IS A WITCH.

When the note, written in ordinary blue ballpoint, appears between two of the homework books Mr Crossley is marking, he is very upset. For this is Larwood House, a school for witch-orphans, where witchcraft is utterly forbidden. And yet, suddenly magic is breaking out all over the place - like measles!

The last thing anybody needs is a visit from the Divisional Inquisitor. If only Chrestomanci could come and sort out all the trouble!
(summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

I consumed this story because it was written by Dianna Wynne Jones, but I hadn't realized at the time that it was part of a series. It felt like a book that worked as a stand-alone too. The story was fun and quirky and wonderfully witty.

The Girl with All the Gifts

by M.R. Carey

NOT EVERY GIFT IS A BLESSING

Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class.

When they come for her, Sergeant Parks keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don't like her. She jokes that she won't bite. But they don't laugh.

Melanie is a very special girl.
(summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

Normally anything that even hints of scary I don't give a chance, but this book hooked me from the first line and made me read all of it... just not before bed. Seriously.
It was one of the most thrilling reads of the summer. A wonderful exploration of humanity and what it means to be human. There are no easy answers. I loved this book.

Like Water for Chocolate

by Laura Esquivel, Carol Christensen (Translater), Thomas Christensen (Translator)

Earthy, magical, and utterly charming, this tale of family life in turn-of-the-century Mexico became a best-selling phenomenon with its winning blend of poignant romance and bittersweet wit.

The number one bestseller in Mexico and America for almost two years, and subsequently a bestseller around the world, "Like Water For Chocolate" is a romantic, poignant tale, touched with moments of magic, graphic earthiness, bittersweet wit - and recipes.

A sumptuous feast of a novel, it relates the bizarre history of the all-female De La Garza family. Tita, the youngest daughter of the house, has been forbidden to marry, condemned by Mexican tradition to look after her mother until she dies. But Tita falls in love with Pedro, and he is seduced by the magical food she cooks. In desperation, Pedro marries her sister Rosaura so that he can stay close to her. For the next twenty-two years, Tita and Pedro are forced to circle each other in unconsummated passion. Only a freakish chain of tragedies, bad luck and fate finally reunite them against all the odds.
(retrieved from goodreads.com)

PASSION. SO MUCH PASSION. I loved this book. Where do I even start? This is a love story. A cookbook. A cultural exploration. A history lesson. Very strong female lead. Positive portrayal of Latin culture. It's just fantastic. Just read it.

Water for Elephants

by Sara Gruen

Orphaned, penniless, Jacob Jankowski jumps a freight train in the dark, and in that instant, transforms his future.

By morning, he's landed a job with the Flying Squadron of the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. By nightfall, he's in love.

In an America made colourless by prohibition and the Depression, the circus is a refuge of sequins and sensuality. But behind the glamour lies a darker world, where both animals and men are dispensable. Where falling in love is the most dangerous act of all...
(retrieved from goodreads.com)

I was hesitant to read this book because of all the commotion caused by the film, but I really enjoyed it. It was extremely intense, but a fascinating and beautifully told story. It was easy to flinch, laugh, and cry along with the characters. Read it, it was a very compelling book.

Leviathan (Leviathan #1)

by Scott Westerfeld, Keith Thompson (Illustrator)

Prince Aleksander, would-be heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battletorn war machine and a loyal crew of men.

Deryn Sharp is a commoner, disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She's a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.

With World War I brewing, Alek and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way…taking them on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure that will change both their lives forever.
(summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

The start of an exciting, thrilling adventure. I loved this whole series. The adventure was captivating and the illustrations were incredibly beautiful. The book touched on really important themes for youths: gender, equality, bravery, friendship, and many more. It's also a work of historical fiction, so anyone fascinated by the World War I era will enjoy this clever new spin on it.

The Wolves in the Walls

by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author), Dave McKean (Illustrator)

Lucy hears sneaking, creeping,
crumpling noises
coming from inside
the walls.

She is sure there are
wolves living in
the walls
of her house.

(Retrieved from goodreads.com)

I stumbled across this gem in my grad school library of all places and read it about three times over the course of an hour. Lets just say I wish I had been as much of a bad-ass as Lucy when I was her age.
Fantastic illustrations. They go with the story perfectly.

House of Many Ways (Howl's Moving Castle #3)

by Diana Wynne Jones

A chaotically magical sequel to Howl's Moving Castle. Charmain Baker is in over her head. Looking after Great Uncle William's tiny cottage while he's ill should have been easy, but Great Uncle William is better known as the Royal Wizard Norland and his house bends space and time. Its single door leads to any number of places - the bedrooms, the kitchen, the caves under the mountains, the past, to name but a few. By opening that door, Charmain is now also looking after an extremely magical stray dog, a muddled young apprentice wizard and a box of the king's most treasured documents, as well as irritating a clan of small blue creatures. Caught up in an intense royal search, she encounters an intimidating sorceress named Sophie. And where Sophie is, can the Wizard Howl and fire demon Calcifer be far behind?
(retrieved from goodreads.com)

I accidentally read this series out of order, but it was still great and very understandable--in spite of my imposed order. Charmain was plucky and courageous and a great character. The story, while complex, was not difficult to follow. And the setting, both at Uncle William's house and in the royal palace, were easy to imagine, though I had to come to terms with their fictitious nature. A shame.

The Shipping News

by Annie Proulx

When Quoyle's two-timing wife meets her just desserts, he retreats with his two daughters to his ancestral home on the starkly beautiful Newfoundland coast, where a rich cast of local characters and family members all play a part in Quoyle's struggle to reclaim his life. As Quoyle confronts his private demons -- and the unpredictable forces of nature and society -- he begins to see the possibility of love without pain or misery.A vigorous, darkly comic, and at times magical portrait of the contemporary North American family, "The Shipping News" shows why Annie Proulx is recognized as one of the most gifted and original writers in America today.
(summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

What a brilliant work of fiction. The narration was exquisite and the story powerful and compelling. The characters were thoroughly believable. I just can't say enough good things about this book. Definitely goes into the category of "Just Read It."

The Book of Lost Things

by John Connolly

High in his attic bedroom, twelve-year-old David mourns the death of his mother, with only the books on his shelf for company. But those books have begun to whisper to him in the darkness. Angry and alone, he takes refuge in his imagination and soon finds that reality and fantasy have begun to meld. While his family falls apart around him, David is violently propelled into a world that is a strange reflection of his own -- populated by heroes and monsters and ruled by a faded king who keeps his secrets in a mysterious book, The Book of Lost Things.

Taking readers on a vivid journey through the loss of innocence into adulthood and beyond, New York Times bestselling author John Connolly tells a dark and compelling tale that reminds us of the enduring power of stories in our lives.
(summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

This was the first book by John Connolly that I randomly picked up. the second--and third--were his Samuel Johnson series. I will definitely include them soon, they were great... and a little more fresh in my memory.
I think I saw it at The Strand on one of their tempting rotating islands of books and judged the heck out of it by its cover. What a thoroughly novel novel. This is one of the few books I could see myself easily rereading.

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making (Fairyland #1)

by Catherynne M. Valente (Goodreads Author), Ana Juan (Illustrator)

Twelve-year-old September lives in Omaha, and used to have an ordinary life, until her father went to war and her mother went to work. One day, September is met at her kitchen window by a Green Wind (taking the form of a gentleman in a green jacket), who invites her on an adventure, implying that her help is needed in Fairyland. The new Marquess is unpredictable and fickle, and also not much older than September. Only September can retrieve a talisman the Marquess wants from the enchanted woods, and if she doesn’t . . . then the Marquess will make life impossible for the inhabitants of Fairyland. September is already making new friends, including a book-loving Wyvern and a mysterious boy named Saturday.

With exquisite illustrations by acclaimed artist Ana Juan, Fairyland lives up to the sensation it created when the author first posted it online. For readers of all ages who love the charm of Alice in Wonderland and the soul of The Golden Compass, here is a reading experience unto itself: unforgettable, and so very beautiful.
(Summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

I'd actually stumbled across this book by accident after I heard the author talk at my local bookstore. She was equally down to Earth, bright, charming, and extremely intelligent. This series--the only one I've read of hers so far--reflects that perfectly. She's not afraid to use big words to challenge younger readers to broaden their vocabulary and it's also enjoyable to "adults" who may need a refresher too. A very fun and thrilling story.

Nation

by Terry Pratchett

Alone on a desert island — everything and everyone he knows and loves has been washed away in a storm — Mau is the last surviving member of his nation. He’s completely alone — or so he thinks until he finds the ghost girl. She has no toes, wears strange lacy trousers like the grandfather bird, and gives him a stick that can make fire.
Daphne, sole survivor of the wreck of the Sweet Judy, almost immediately regrets trying to shoot the native boy. Thank goodness the powder was wet and the gun only produced a spark. She’s certain her father, distant cousin of the Royal family, will come and rescue her but it seems, for now, that all she has for company is the boy and the foul-mouthed ship’s parrot, until other survivors arrive to take refuge on the island. Together, Mau and Daphne discover some remarkable things (including how to milk a pig, and why spitting in beer is a good thing), and start to forge a new nation.

Encompassing themes of death and nationhood, Terry Pratchett’s new novel is, as can be expected, extremely funny, witty and wise. Mau’s ancestors have something to teach us all. Mau just wishes they would shut up about it and let him get on with saving everyone’s lives!
(Summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

I loved this book--obviously. I had so much fun reading it and finding the dramatized version of it on BBC Radio 4 Extra. Mau and Daphne are such great characters and it was great to see them grow and develop because of--and in spite of--quite dire circumstances. Seriously great book.

Wonder (Wonder #1)

by R. J. Palacio

I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse.

August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He's about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances?

R. J. Palacio has written a spare, warm, uplifting story that will have readers laughing one minute and wiping away tears the next. With wonderfully realistic family interactions (flawed, but loving), lively school scenes, and short chapters, Wonder is accessible to readers of all levels.
(summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

What I loved most about this book, aside from everything, was the wonderful sense of perspective the author gave us. It wasn't just Auggie's story, but the story of his sister, her boyfriend, some of his classmates, etc. Even a character that never comes around to accepting Auggie's difference is treated with compassion. I would recommend this book to any person of any age.