ARC Book Review: The Last Present

Title: The Last Present

Author: Wendy Mass

Publisher: Scholastic Press

# of Pages: 246 (in the digital, ebook ARC)

Release Date: 24 September 2013

Publisher's Summary: Amanda and Leo have a history with birthdays. Now their friend's little sister, Grace, has fallen into a strange frozen state on her birthday, and Amanda and Leo must travel in time in order to fix whatever's wrong. As they journey back to each of Grace's birthdays, they start seeing all sorts of patterns . . . which raise all sorts of questions.

Amanda and Leo are going to have to unravel the threads of the past and present - and travel much further than they ever imagined - if they're going to save Grace. Luckily, a little birthday magic always helps in the charming and funny Willow Falls series by Wendy Mass, where everything is possible and there are no coincidences.

Review: I have a little bit of a literary crush on Wendy Mass.  I constantly tell others (students, patrons, fellow teachers & librarians, moms, friends, strangers) who ask who my favorite author is that it's Wendy Mass.  When I grow up to become an author (which at this rate will be sometime in my 60s) I want to be just like her.  Mass' books are sweet and kind without being simple.  The characters are complicated without any cheap drama.  The Candymakers is on my list of top ten favorite Middle Grade books.  (I waxed poetic about it in my review of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library.)  She's one of those rare authors who is able to write tween dialogue that actually sounds like it comes from the mouths of tweens.

But, my love of her aside, I was disappointed in this book.  Maybe it was in part because I enjoyed all of the previous Willow Falls books so thoroughly or because I had such high expectations for the series finale.  But mostly I think I was disappointed because it ended so abruptly.  It started out like all of Mass' books - she built background for readers who hadn't previously read books in the series, reintroduced the characters, and set the conflict, all in a way that endears the reader to the story.  The plot revolves around a ten part mission and the first few parts were incredibly engrossing.  But just as the book really started to get going, Mass ended it by wrapping everything up in series of neat bows.  It was so sudden that it was jarring.  I realize that part of the beauty of this series is that it's magical realism for the tween set, but enough things happened that are out of character for Willow Falls and its residents that I expected someone to question or comment on it.  But that never happened.  Adult and child characters accept explanations and events that they normally wouldn't and Mass explains it all with a literary shrug of "It's magic." 

Maybe the sudden ending is due to the fact that the book is almost 250 pages long, which is lengthy for a middle grade book.   Or maybe Mass just wanted to be done with the series.  Either way, I just wish there had been a more satisfying ending to such a spectacular series.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Book Review: Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library

Title: Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library

Author: Chris Grabenstein


Publisher: Random House

# of Pages: 304

Release Date: 25 June 2013

Publisher's Summary:  Kyle Keeley is the class clown, popular with most kids, (if not the teachers), and an ardent fan of all games: board games, word games, and particularly video games. His hero, Luigi Lemoncello, the most notorious and creative gamemaker in the world, just so happens to be the genius behind the building of the new town library.

Lucky Kyle wins a coveted spot to be one of the first 12 kids in the library for an overnight of fun, food, and lots and lots of games. But when morning comes, the doors remain locked. Kyle and the other winners must solve every clue and every secret puzzle to find the hidden escape route. And the stakes are very high.

Review: I'm proud to say that this was the first book I checked out in my new role as YA librarian!  I had read early reviews of it while I was still working as an English teacher and was excited that it was coming out just as I transitioned to my new job.  I will shamelessly admit that I gave it five out of five stars in part because it's a love letter to libraries and librarians, but I'll do my best to not gush about it too much in my review!

I haven't read any of Chris Grabenstein's other works, although I was aware that he was the author of both YA and adult titles.  I wasn't sure what to expect from Mr. Lemoncello but I was intrigued by the premise of children solving riddles and puzzles while locked overnight in a futuristic library.  Many of the early reviews I read compared it to Roald Dahl's  Charlie and the Chocolate Factory but I would argue that it's more like Wendy Mass' The Candymakers.  Both books, as well as Mr. Lemoncello, follow the classic formula of children thrown into an adult setting left to bond as a group or fall apart trying.  Dahl, master that he is, made Charlie his hero; a protagonist who was truly good while those around him suffered from the ugly flaws of youth and greed.  Mass and Grabenstein follow a more contemporary model, allowing their characters to shine because of their imperfections, not in spite of them.  There are multiple heroes and everyone is capable of redemption.  Which makes for a friendlier book and a more enjoyable story.  Part of the joy in reading Mr. Lemoncello is watching the characters learn to work together.  They solve problems as a team and share the rewards equally.  

Grabenstein, besides understanding the group dynamics of tweens, clearly loves libraries.  The book is filled with literary quotes and Dewey references.  I'm especially fond of Grabenstein's description of the giant dome covered in LCD screens that fills the ceiling of the main reading room of Mr. Lemoncello's library.  I love it because as magical as it seems, it's also plausible.  I'm already trying to convince my director that we need to install one in our library!

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library is a fast and highly enjoyable read.  I recommend it to tweens and librarians alike!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars