Charlotte's Library

The Prophet of Yonwood written by Jeanne DuPrau First of all, I still don't understand why this is called "the third book of Ember" when it is clearly not the third. I was so confused about what was happening, where Lina and Doon were, until I read the back cover and found out it was a prequel. That is not the sort of information I should be getting off the back cover, that is something that should be made evident upon starting the book. For a children's book, there is an overload of social commentary, and I'm pretty sure the entire ideas would just fly over their heads, and I thought People of Sparks was bad in that regard! Hah! Regardless of whether or not I agree with her views, this is entirely too preachy. It proved very difficult to get into the plot, the characters were not well-developed, it was very slow paced, with not much action at all. I think I may possibly have only liked one page of this entire novel--the last one. How ridiculous. Don...

Invisible Lines written by Mary Amato Invisible Lines has a narrator quite unlike any other, though comparable to Julius Zimmerman, titular character of Claudia Mills' You're a Brave Man, Julius Zimmerman . The book reads in a warmly funny and stingingly honest style reminiscent of Andrew Clements, with a highly likable and humorous narrator in Trevor Musgrove. While parts were slightly predictable in a way often found in children's books, there are plenty of completely unforeseen plot elements. Everything about this book is enthralling, the humor and realness keeping the readers' attention the whole way through. There is a perfect balance struck between seriousness and humor. Issues such as a missing father figure and domestic violence are dealt with, but in a child-friendly way that is both honest and appropriate. Interestingly enough, many scientific facts are easily picked up through reading this book, and the reader learns about the fascinating world of mush...