Language:  1

Violence:  2

Sexual Content:  0

Adult Themes:  1

Title:  Artemis Fowl

Author:  Eoin Colfer

Ratings Explanation

Language:   Swearing includes four uses of  “damn” and several uses of a swear word in fairy language that is not translated, “D’Arvit.”  There are mild ongoing insults between characters and verbal sparring.

Violence:  We see magical creatures fighting humans and bodies fly into walls, shattering bones.  There is one battle including gun shots to a troll, “serrated ivory” talons piercing a human’s chest, blood matting the Troll’s fur, a human paralyzed, the troll thinking about eating a human.  The troll is crippled with blows by a mace and then hand-to-hand combat.  There are several incidents of highly explosive dwarf flatulence.

Adult Themes:  Artemis is a youthful criminal from a criminal family.  His mother has no control of Artemis, takes a lot of sleeping pills, and has been bedridden since her husband disappeared, losing her sanity.  A fairy is corrupted by alcoholism.

Synopsis

Artemis Fowl is a 12-year-old criminal mastermind from a legendary family of criminals.  His father is missing, possibly killed, and his mother has lost her sanity.  In addition, the family fortune has been largely lost, and Artemis sets out to restore it.  This is the story of  “his first villainous venture”—a scheme to kidnap a magical creature and hold it hostage for a ransom of fairy gold.  First, he deviously acquires “The Book,” which tells the rules of the magical world.  Then he abducts a fairy who is out of magic for the moment.  A team from the “Lower Elements Police,” or LEP, is dispatched to rescue her.  Having knowledge of fairy operations, Artemis and his trusty bodyguard Butler are one step ahead of the fairy folk for most of the conflict.  The situation escalates to a life-or-death battle of wits, brawn, and technology, which concludes with a clever turn of events.  In the fairy world we meet sprites, leprechauns, centaurs, goblins and others of a magical persuasion, and learn about fairy technology.  The book includes a secret message along the bottom of all the pages, and the reader can either break the code themselves or get help online.

This fantasy speeds along on quick repartee, interesting technical inventions and unexpected plot twists.  Some of the characters that started out as  “just plain bad” turned out to be more “human” than expected, and I found myself wincing, hoping that Artemis would not betray his loyal servants.  His concern for his mother and loyalty to friends surprised me and added a satisfying depth to the story.  The part about dwarves eating dirt and bodily “processing” the dirt as they tunnel, with lots of powerful flatulence, was definitely directed at young boys.  There was suspense and risk and lots of humor.  It’s a fun adventure for the 9- to 12-year-old but interesting enough for younger teens as well.

Language: 3

Violence: 3

Sexual Content: 0

Adult Themes: 2

Title: A Conspiracy of Kings ( The Queen’s Thief, Book 4)

Author: Megan Whalen Turner

Ratings Explanation

Language: Hell and damn are the most common words used in various phrases.  Exclamations of deity are also frequent.  Bastard is used a handful of times.  Ass and SOB are used once.  Several references to swearing are made like, “I screamed every curse I’d ever practiced” and “swearing a blue streak.”

Violence:  Sophos says, “The sword slid through him and I found for the first time how easy it is to kill a man.”  Sophos pulls the sword out after hitting the bone.  Someone tries to strangle someone else.  Sophos is beaten and left hurt and swollen.  There is fighting with knives and punching in the face.  Someone stabs a horse in the belly.  There is sword training.  Men are shot and die.

Adult Themes: There is drinking of wine several times.  Sophos is sold into slavery and works with other slaves for quite some time.  Political unrest and internal wars are the basis for this book.

Synopsis

Sophos is the young heir to the throne of Sounis.  His lack of desire for political and defensive learning embarrasses his father who sends him to a remote villa to live with his mother and sisters.  He continues his tutoring there until one day the villa is attacked and Sophos is taken prisoner and forced into slavery.  During the time Sophos spends working as a slave, he matures both physically and mentally.  He determines to take control and fight for his country.  Sophos seeks the help and advice of his friends, the King and Queen of Attolia.  And from the book jacket, ”Across the small peninsula battles are fought, bribes are offered and conspiracies are set in motion.  Darkening the horizon, the Mede Empire threatens, always, from across the sea.  And Sophos, anonymous and alone, bides his time.  Sophos, drawing on his memories of Gen, Pol, the magus-and Eddis-sets out on an adventure that will change all of their lives forever.”

This is easily one of the best series of books I’ve read.  I love the characters and I love how Turner weaves a story.  I missed Eugenides in this book as the story mostly focuses on Sophos, but it was still a great adventure with an ending that I didn’t expect.  The storyline is easy to follow, yet complex.  I was engrossed from beginning to end.   At one point the word Contrariwise is used.  I love this word!  I’ve never actually seen it in a book before.  I think I remember it being in a Winnie the Pooh movie though.

My problem with these books is the language.  7^th grade and up seems to be the generally recommended reading level.  I would disagree based solely on the language content.  I would recommend an upper high school level for this book.

Language:  1

Violence:  2

Adult Themes:  2

Sexual Content:  2

Title:  The Hourglass Door

Author:  Lisa Mangum

Ratings Explanation

Language:  The words “hell” (“Go to hell”) and “hellish” used only a few times.  “Damnation” used once in a poem.

Violence:  Zo slashes Dante across his arm with a switchblade; blood soaks his shirt.  Abby slaps Zo as hard as she can; he gets very physically aggressive but doesn’t hurt her.  A few intense fight-like scenes by the riverbank. 

Adult Themes:  The rock band Zero Hour intentionally projects the same effect on its audience as drugs would; people experience emotional highs, lows, and hangovers from its intensity.  Dante and the band members are all accused or convicted war criminals from 16th century Italy.  At the Dungeon, a teenage hangout, the owner Leo gives Abby a drink concocted of mysterious ingredients that have a profound effect on her mind and psyche. 

Sexual Content:  Nothing beyond a kiss, however, Dante and Abby exchange many and they are described in intimate (albeit cliche) detail:  “…he kissed me,  his lips at once hard and fierce and yet still gentle and insistent.”  “I could taste the softness of his lips. . . I ran my fingers through the curls at the nape of his neck into his hair at the same time he slid his hands down to lock at the small of my back.  His fingers left tracks of heat in their wake.”  etc.  A lot of that going on.  In the scene where Dante is slashed, he removes his shirt in front of Abby, and she “drank in the sight of his long, lean body.”

Synopsis

Abby Edmunds seems to have the quaint, perfect life going on:  good family, good grades, nice boyfriend who lives next door, but it’s all a little bit too predictable for her.  Then one day, a mysterious, tall, dark, and exotically handsome exchange student from Italy walks into her life.  Meet Dante Alexander, who seems to be the polar opposite of her boyfriend, Jason.  He is spontaneous and charismatic and speaks with an accent, and Abby can’t help feeling attracted to him.  Time literally seems to stop when she is with him.  But Dante is hiding some dark secret, and Abby is willing to risk the status quo to find out what it is:  that Dante is actually an exiled prisoner from 16th century Italy who apprenticed with Leonardo da Vinci.  Under da Vinci’s tutelage, Dante learned the secret to the most dangerous thing da Vinci [supposedly] ever invented, a time machine through which the Italian government sent war criminals into the future to be punished.  Now Dante, who was wrongly convicted, is living in 2009 and trying to stop three other Italian thugs, members of a rock band named Zero Hour, from finding a way back through the time-space continuum and changing history.  But he is also inlove with Abby, who happens to hold the key to unlocking the Hourglass Door back through time.

The storyline here is a familiar one: boy meets girl, boy is hiding some unfathomable secret, girl unlocks secret, girl can’t help falling inlove and risking everything to help boy overcome his demons (real or otherwise).  Yet even with such a familiar premise, Ms. Mangum’s first book is intriguing enough to keep the reader turning the pages and ending on a cliffhanger note, tempting you with the sequel.  The romance hovers dangerously close to the cheese factor, however, for me.  By book’s end I had had more than my fair share of intertwining fingers and lips and penetrating gazes.   The Hourglass Door is part one in a three-part trilogy (book two, The Golden Spiral, was released in May 2010). 

Language: 2

Violence: 3

Sexual Content: 2

Adult Themes: 1

Title:  Specials

(Book Number Three)

Author: Scott Westerfield

Ratings Explanation

Language:  ”The plan is we kick their asses.”   “What the hell for?”  ”Bad-ass friends.”  ”You don’t give a damn about Fausto?”  ”The New Smoke wasn’t some hidden encampment in the wild, where people crapped into holes…”  ”the New System sucks”  ”Crap”.

Violence:  Tally does not want to kill David.  She wants to see him tamed and turned into a bubblehead, pretty and clueless and out of her life once and for all.   There are references to the self-mutilation found in book two.  ”Breaking out of bubble-headedness with nothing but a sharp knife against her own skin”.   Shay is given a jolt from a shock-stick by David.  Tally saves Shay from drowning in the river.  Shay suggests to Tally that she might just need a cut to help her think clearly.  Shay uses her knife to cut the palm of Tally’s hand.  Shay and Tally break into the armory, and let loose “Hunger in nano form”, which eats and destroys everything in its path. Hovercrafts follow Shay and Tally to the city limits, bombarding them with grenades.  Tally and Fausto engage in hand to hand combat as he tries to inject her with a needle.  The “New Smoke”/ City of Diego and The Armada go to war.  Zane dies.  Tally reflects on the deaths she has witnessed.  Tally kicks Dr. Cable in the stomach, and does a roundhouse kick into the jaw of her closest pursuer.

Sexual Content:  ”Shay brushes against the random boy, a flex of muscles gliding down her body like a flick through a rope.  His body starting to follow her movements.”  Tally is jealous as she sees David brush fingers with a Smokey girl.  ”That was his thing: going around recruiting uglies to run away, seducing the best and the smartest city kids with the promise of rebellion.”   Tally climbs the island’s slopes through a pleasure garden.  Tally and Zane kiss.  She is repulsed by his weakness as an unspecial and barely average.  Tally’s clothes are stripped off of her, as she is lifted into an operating tank.

Adult Themes:  Revolution.  Beer consumption.  Shay and Tally are still pitted against one another.  Shay’s anger and jealousy have not disappeared.

Summary

Tally was not positive that “Specials” actually existed.  Now, transformed into a special Special, she is one of them –a Cutter.  Dr. Cable engineers Tally to be a weapon, to root out rebellion.  Her body has been reconstructed around a reinforced ceramic skeleton.  Her fingernails and teeth have been weaponized, and her muscles and reflex centers significantly augmented.  She is a member of “The Cutters”.  Shay, the leader of The Cutters, is given orders to find the “New Smoke”, the rebel’s hideout.  Tally and Shay  break into the armory and let loose an ancient weapon, “Hunger in nano form”.  Dr. Cable leads the city to believe that they are under attack from the rebels.  She is then given control of the military.  Shay and Tally find the “New Smoke” and choose to defend the “New Smoke” against Dr. Cable’s diabolical plan to rule the world.

I really enjoyed the FIRST book in this series.  However, the strong moral values you receive in the first book are completely obliterated in the subsequent installments. This story just fizzled out.  I am very concerned with the “cutting/self-mutilation”.  I do not recommend this book for the age group it is marketed to (Grades 6-10).  However, should you choose to read this book, proceed with caution.

©2010 The Literate Mother

Language:  0

Violence:  2.5

Sexual Content:  0

Adult Themes:  2

Title:  Peter and the Shadow Thieves (Starcatchers Series, book 2)

Author:  Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

Ratings Explanation

Violence:  The pirates on Mollusk Island kidnap the island chief’s daughter.  It is briefly mentioned that Slank (one of the “Others”) killed and ate Little Richard while lost at sea.  In London, Peter runs into a man who beats runaway children; Peter is attacked by a street vendor who sells birds and has captured Tinkerbell, then arrested by a policeman for hitting the bird seller.  The Others kidnap Molly’s mother.  A servant girl working with the Others tries to stab Molly with a kitchen knife.  At the Tower of London, Molly tells Peter the story of two princes who were locked up, beaten, and murdered in the Tower by their cruel uncle.  Mr. McGuinn, a fellow Starcatcher, is killed when he falls from a stone stairwell.  In the final battle for the starstuff, both Peter and Molly’s father are shot by the Others (both recover.)

Adult Themes:  Peter is arrested and sent to jail, where he encounters several other boys (street urchins) who have been sent there “to rot.”  Boys who have been arrested are seldom set free again, but generally face a lifetime of imprisonment or hardship (very Dickensian).  When Molly’s mother is kidnapped by the Others and held for ransom, Molly’s father must choose between surrendering the starstuff to the evil powers or saving her life.

Synopsis

In this sequel to Peter and the Starcatchers, Peter and his gang of Lost Boys now live on Mollusk Island and gamefully spar with Black Stache (now nicknamed “Hook” by Peter & co.) and his fellow pirates.   But the day a different ship arrives on the island bringing Slank, the noseless man Nerezza, and a dark, creepy figure called Lord Ombra in search of the magical starstuff, Peter smells trouble.  When Ombra and his men learn the starstuff is in London, they sail off, and Peter decides he must head to England to warn Molly and her family before the evil men get there first.  He stows away on Ombra’s ship unseen, then flies off in London with Tinkerbell to find the Aster family.  London does not receive Peter kindly, and he is cast into jail and Tinkerbell kidnapped by a bird seller before they can even blink.  They escape, of course (the ability to fly can come in handy) and eventually reach Molly, but not before the eerie, inhuman Lord Ombra kidnaps her mother for a starstuff ransom.  Ombra steals people’s shadows (and their souls), reads their thoughts, and turns them into emotionless robots.  But Peter, Molly, Tink, and even a young George Darling team up to combat the nefarious shadow-thieving Others and ensure that the starstuff does not fall into their filthy hands.

This sequel-to-the-prequel proves just as satisfying as the first, but has a different tone.  There is less swashbuckling and pirate jargon, as Hook and his crew on Mollusk Island take a back seat to the main storyline set in the streets of Dickens-era London with the spooky Lord Ombra, whose shapeless figure can creep under doorways and suck up people’s shadows without warning.  Famous London landmarks (the River Thames, the Tower of London, Kensington Gardens) make brief but shining appearances in the story, with the final showdown between good and evil being set in farm country at a very familiar, “stony” location.  The authors even have James Barrie (Peter Pan’s creator) make a clever cameo in one scene.  Another entertaining and adventurous read.

Language: 1
Violence: 3
Sexual Content: 0
Adult Content: 1

Title: The Messenger
Author:  Lois Lowry

Ratings Explanation

Language: Matty quotes Lady Macbeth, “Out damn’d spot!  Out, I say!”  He also quotes Macduff, “O hell…”

Violence: References are made to Matty’s childhood of being abused and beaten bloody by his mother.  A man from Village is found dead.  He has been mutilated by the forest and it is described. Seer’s story is told of being found in the forest with his eyes gouged out and left for dead.   Matty cuts his leg and heals it himself.  The forest is evil and attacks Matty and Kira.  Branches and vines cut them like knives,   dripping sap burns their skin, leaving sores that weep and swell.  Vines try to strangle them, insects attack them and rocks fling through the air.

Adult Content- There are references to child abuse and government oppression.

Synopsis

In this final book, following The Giver and Gathering Blue, Matty lives in Village with Seer, a blind man who took him in after escaping an abusive home.  People in Village eventually receive a true name, and Matty hopes that his will be Messenger.  Things are changing though, in Village, in Matty, and in the dark forest.  Matty discovers he has a special power to heal others but isn’t quite sure how to use it.  People in Village are changing and not for the better.  Where they were once kind and welcoming, they are becoming selfish and mean.  They want to build a wall to keep new people out.  The dark forest is becoming increasingly sinister and foreboding, killing people.  Matty must make a final trip through the forest as a messenger to others.

This book has so many layers and levels, I think.  I often found myself drawing parallels between the world we live in and the world in this book.  The forest is evil and scary!  The book  builds in suspense because you just know something really bad is going to happen.  I’m a girl who loves a happily ever after ending.  I want to feel good and content at the end of a book.  That didn’t happen for me with this book, but I will say that the story was well written and evoked emotion in me.  This book would be best when read and discussed with your child, or as a book club read.  A quote from this book, “there were communities everywhere, sprinkled across the vast landscape of the unknown world, in which people suffered.  Not always because of beatings and hunger, the way he had.  But from ignorance.  From not knowing.  From being kept from knowledge.”

Language-4

Violence- 2.5

Sexual Content- 1

Adult Themes- 1

Title: The King of Attolia (The Queen’s Thief, Book 3)

Author:  Megan Whalen Turner

Ratings Explanation

Language: There was a high level of language in this book.  The most frequent being hell and damn.  Exclamations of deity are also prevalent, usually in conjunction with damn.  Bastard is used a handful of times, along with a couple of other stronger words.

Violence:  Assassins try to kill the King.  He fights them and is injured in the process.  The Dr. stitches the wound and it is described.  The Queen slaps the King.  The king is angry and throws things, breaking them.  There is sword fighting and aggressive behavior.

Sexual Content:  The Queen and King kiss.  There are references to them sharing a bed, although they are married.  The guards and the King sit naked in the steam room.

Adult themes: Loyalty vs. betrayal seems to be the outstanding theme in this book.  The people worship many different Gods.

Synopsis

The Thief, Eugenides, is now the King of Attolia.  He must convince the Queen’s court that he is worthy of the title he now bears.  The Attolians think he is an idiot, a puppet of the Queen, and that there is no love in the marriage.  After all, she was the one who cut off his hand.   The king finds himself the recipient of many pranks, jokes, and even an assassination attempt.  Eugenides is clever though, and as usual, has a carefully laid out plan.

This book was a bit different from the other two books, but no less exciting and compelling.  I love the storytelling in this book and in this series.  While this book lacked the twists and surprises the other two books had, it had a depth that I enjoyed.  Eugenides literally changes the minds of those who wish ill upon him, and he does it with integrity, intelligence and patience.  The story of love between the Queen and King is so good.  The biggest drawback of this book, for me, is the language.  Most editorial reviews place this book anywhere from 7-11^th grade.  I would disagree and say that this book (and series) should be at the upper end of the high school range, if not young adult.

Title: Fang

Author: James Patterson

Ratings Explanation

Language: There are a few crude words used.   Exclamations of deity occur frequently throughout the book (good Lord, Oh God, Lordy, etc.).  There is also frequent use of the word hell.  The rating of 3 reflects the frequency of usage.

Violence: Bird kids are shot at flying into Africa.  They fight back.  A young girl cuts herself and then heals herself.  A Dr. injects himself with something, grows disgusting sores, cuts his finger off and then heals himself.  Bird kids fight against Erasers and kill them.  Some bird kids are hurt.  Max and Fang are shot at and chased.  Fang is beaten up and wakes to find himself hooked to an IV.  Bird kids fight against an evil scientist and his men.  Mutated bodies are described.  Max injects a needle straight into Fang’s heart.

Sexual Content- Fang and Max kiss several times.

Adult Themes- The Apocalypse (the end of the world) is referred to a few times in this book.  Bird kids receive tattoos for a gift and discuss how cool it will be to get them.  Fang and Max (underage) gamble in Vegas and win.

Synopsis

Maximum Ride is the leader and protector of her small flock of bird kids.  Many evil forces are out to destroy them.  Over time, Fang has become more than a friend to Max and she discovers her love for him.  Then comes a horrible prophetic message that Fang will be the first to die, and soon.  Another bird kid, Dylan, is introduced to the group.  He has been made especially for Max.  The tension in the little flock peaks and emotions run high.  Max struggles to keep her flock together, safe, and happy.

I read through this book quickly.  It was interesting and compelling.  I would disagree with the target age group for this book though.  The violence and language alone would suggest this is not a book for children.  I like Max’s loyalty to her friends.  Maybe it’s my mother emotions coming out, but I can relate to how she loves her flock, her family.   Her heart is with them no matter what and she really tries to do the best for them.  She wants them to be safe and happy.  My quote from this book is, “Did anyone just tell the truth anymore?”

Language- 3

Violence- 1

Sexual Content- 1

Adult Themes- 1

Title: I’d Tell You I Love You, but Then I’d Have To Kill You

Author: Ally Carter

Ratings Explanation

Language: The “B” word is used many times in this book.  Sometimes it looks like this: “B__”.  Sometimes it is actually spelled out.  There is a damn, a bloody, and a bloody hell.

Violence- The girls are training spies and there are mild references to spy torture and combat techniques.  Cammie throws Josh down to the concrete.  The girls have an “operation” where they use kicks and hits to subdue their enemy.

Sexual content- Cammie and friends think the new teacher is “hot”.  Cammie and Josh hold hands and kiss.

Adult Themes-   Girls in this book sneak out and lie to adults.  Cammie’s father, who is a spy, is missing and presumed dead.

Synopsis
Cammie is a 15-year-old girl who’s life is anything but normal.  She attends Gallagher Academy,  a top secret boarding school, training to be a spy.  Her mother is a spy and also the head master of the school.  On a training exercise,  Cammie meets a “normal” boy who shows interest in her.  Cammie must keep her real identity a secret and the lies she tells lead to many complications and adventures.  Cammie had no idea falling for a guy could be so dangerous.

The story itself is cute.  It’s a rather fluffy read, quick and very teenager-ish.  Cammie is full of sarcasm and one liners that made me laugh.  What girl hasn’t, at some time or another, wished she could be a super strong, smart, sexy spy?!  (Go ahead, say that 5 times, really fast…)  The downside to this book is the language.  It is so completely unnecessary.   Here is my favorite part of the book:

“I did what I was trained to do- I grabbed the offending arm, shifted my weight, and used the force of my would-be attacker’s momentum against him.

It was fast.  Really fast.  Scary, these- hands- are- lethal-weapons fast.  I am so good, I thought, right up until the point when I looked down and saw Josh lying at my feet, the wind knocked out of him.  His voice sounded so weak, and I thought, This is it.  I killed the only man I could ever love, and now I’m about to hear his deathbed (deathstreet?) confession.  I leaned close to him.  My hair fell into his open mouth.  He gagged.

So…yeah…on my first pseudo-date, I not only physically assaulted my potential soul mate, I also made him gag- literally.”

 Language- 4

 Violence- 3

 Sexual Content- 1

 Adult Themes – 2

 Title: The Queen of Attolia

Author: Megan Whalen Turner

 Ratings Explanation

Language: Exclamations of deity (Oh Gods, Thank the Gods, Oh My God) are used frequently.  Damn and hell are also used frequently in several different forms and phrases.  Bastard is used once.  The “B” word is also used.  Several references are made to cursing without actually using the words.   For example, “A great deal of swearing”.

Violence: Eugenides is caught in the Queen of Attolia’s castle and is imprisoned and treated poorly.  His hand is cut off as punishment and is described in detail.  There is a war between several countries and thus, fighting and death.  Some battle scenes are described which include fighting with swords.   Eugenides gets his ears “boxed” by the queen.  Eugenides is angry and throws things.  There is a scene where Eugenides takes a goat to offer as a sacrifice to his Gods.  He “deftly” slits the goat’s throat, then its belly.  The blood and guts are described.  The windows of the building are blown out by the anger of the Gods.

Sexual Content: Eugenides declares his love for the Queen.  He kisses the queen.

Adult Themes: There is much talk of war, loyalties, and betrayals in this book.  Worship of Gods and the fear of offending “the Gods” are the basis of many decisions the characters make.  The Gods speak with the characters in several instances.  Eugenides feels “betrayed” by the Gods.

Synopsis

The Queen of Attolia is the second book in the Queen’s Thief series.  It continues the life and adventures of Eugenides, the queen’s thief.  In the first book, Eugenides stole a mythical relic from the Queen of Attolia.  Now he finds himself in the path of her wrath and her plans for revenge.  His small country becomes entangled in a war with Attolia.  It is said that Eugenides can steal anything, but can he steal the Queen of Attolia and peace for his warring country?  What will be the cost of such attempts?

This is a fantastic, compelling story.  The characters are strong and believable and  Eugenides has a dry wit that I love.  The twists in this story are so fun.  There were parts of this book I just couldn’t get through fast enough for wanting to know what happened next.  I can’t believe how badly I wanted good things to happen for Eugenides, like he was my child or something!   The ending was superb.  I loved it, and I love Eugenides.  Such emotions can only be brought about by a great story.  Having said all that, I have to add how disappointed I am in the language levels in this book.  I would never feel comfortable allowing my children to read this book.  I felt uncomfortable with the language.   This is not a child’s book.  The themes, feelings and actions of this book are very adult.  The main characters are young adults, but I would suggest caution in allowing children to read this book.  My favorite quote from this book is, “Gen, I know my decisions are my own responsibility.  If I am the pawn of the Gods, it is because they know me so well, not because they make up my mind for me.”

Language:  1

Violence:  2.5

Sexual Content:  1

Adult Themes:  2

 Title:  Peter and the Starcatchers

Author:  Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

Ratings Explanation

Language:  A few instances of the word “damn”; typical derogatory pirate talk.

Violence:  A lot of talk of walking the planks, men being thrown overboard, and threats of slicing them up and feeding them to the sharks; the pirates smack each other around a lot.  Typical descriptions of pirate attacks on the open seas.  The natives on the Mollusk Island throw Peter and his friends into a pit to be eaten by a crocodile.  Mermaids viciously attack two seamen who, in turn, attempt to stab and kill the mermaids.  The boys beat up one of the seamen with coconuts.  Molly is held at knifepoint by a pirate.  Black Stache stabs a native in the chest and leaves him to die.  And quite a few other instances of pirates attempting to kill Peter, Molly, and other pirates.

Sexual Content:  Allusions to Mrs. Bumbrake, Molly’s governess, spending evenings in Slank’s cabin on board the ship.  Peter dreams he is kissing a mermaid and wakes to find it is true (she is actually breathing life into him); Peter sweetly thinks about kissing Molly and how “it doesn’t seem so bad”.  The pirates wantonly gaze at the sunbathing mermaids (who, being mermaids, are naturally topless but with very long hair discreetly covering certain areas.)

Adult Themes:  Mrs. Bumbrake (is she married?) getting cozy with Slank; an allusion to Peter being maltreated at a home for boys; common pirate behavior such as drinking rum into oblivion, ogling mermaids, stealing, plundering, pillaging, etc.  The sails on Black Stache’s pirate ship resemble an enormous brassiere.

Synopsis

In this clever ”prequel” to J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, we learn all about what happened to Peter before we meet him on Wendy Darling’s bedroom windowsill.  The book begins with Peter, a 13 or 14-yr-old (even he’s not sure) and his fellow orphan mates being taken from St. Norbert’s Home for Wayward Boys in London and being placed aboard a ship, the Never Land, which unbeknownst to them will deliver them into servitude on a faraway island.  There he meets Molly Aster, an astute, pretty 14-yr-old girl who speaks with porpoises and confides in him about the contents of a mysterious trunk aboard the ship.  According to Molly, the trunk contains mystical, glowing ”starstuff”, star matter which falls from the sky and is quickly retrieved by a secret society called the Starcatchers whose job it is to keep the powerful stuff from falling into the wrong hands.  Starstuff gives anyone who touches it immediate joy, warmth, increased intelligence, and the ability to fly.  It can also transform fish into mermaids, but in the hands of the Others, its power can be used for evil.  Peter is instantly intrigued (and a little dazed by the lovely Molly) and vows to help her protect the starstuff from Black Stache, a notorious and greedy pirate whose ship is now in hot pursuit of the Never Land.  Inevitably, a storm shipwrecks everyone on a tropical island inhabited by savage natives and a monstrous crocodile.  Swashbuckling adventures ensue as Peter and Molly rush to find the trunk before the pirates do. 

As with all great children’s fantasy tales, this one indulges the adults, as well.  Its classic pirate dialogue (not too randy for the kids), clever storyline, and high-seas adventure will keep the pages of this novel turning.  The authors fill in many of the blanks from the original story (and the Disney cartoon) with delightful satisfaction.

 Language: 2

 Violence: 2

Sexual content: 1

 Adult Themes: 1

Title: The Thief (The Queen’s Thief, Book 1)

Author: Megan Whalen Turner

1997 Newbery Honor

Ratings Explanation

Language: “Damn” and “God’s Damn” are used many times throughout the book.

Violence: Gen is frequently mistreated and abused because he is a prisoner and beneath those he is traveling with.  He is slapped, kicked, hit, tied up and beaten with a riding crop.  The traveling group is attacked, there is fighting with swords and all attackers are killed.  Gen is injured when he tries to slow a group of soldiers by fighting them with a sword. Many people die in the attack.  Gen finds the bones of many dead people in the temple of the Gods.

Sexual Content: Gen is stripped down naked and washed.

Adult Themes: Gen is a thief and steals things.  The book is based on stories of Gods and Goddesses like the God of the Sky, Goddess of the Earth, the God of Thieves and so forth.

Synopsis The story of Gen begins in a prison where Gen is being held for stealing.  He is not just a thief, but a bragging thief.  Self proclaimed as the best thief, able to steal anything.  The king’s scholar, the magus, needs Gens help to steal a rumored and hidden treasure of the God’s from another land.  We follow their journey to the hidden temple of the Gods where Gens abilities are put to the test.  The magus has plans, but Gen is a trickster and has a plan of his own.

I did not really get into this book until Gen reaches the temple of the Gods and begins his adventure there.  I did love the ending of this book because it went someplace I wasn’t expecting.  It unfolded into another story.  Honestly, the repeated usage of “God’s damn” in the beginning of the book really distracted me from the story and the mean treatment of Gen was not my favorite.  The moment I really bonded with Gen was when he said this in response to Sophos’s question, “If you could be anywhere you wanted right now, where would it be?”  “In bed.  In a big bed, with a carved footboard, in a warm room with a lot of windows.  And sheets.  And a fireplace, and books.  Lots of books.”  That was the moment that I knew I could love Gen. 

©2010 The Literate Mother

Language:1

Violence:2

Sexual Content:0

Adult Themes:0

Title:  How to Train Your Dragon Book 1

Author: Cressida Cowell

Ratings Explanation

Language: No swearing but several bits of name calling and taunting.   Many of their names are based on primitive crudeness (the Meathead Tribe, Snotlout, Duhbrain, Newtsbreath etc.)

Violence:   These young viking characters are all about the ruff and tumble lifestyle of their parents.  Lots of teasing, bantering and taunting.  A very large dragon has eaten an entire army of Roman soldiers, carts, horses and all.  The dragon also describes the best way to bone a human.   Live sheep are one of the dragon’s  favorite snacks because of their crunchy bones.  Two dragons take chunks out of each other during a fight.   A large dragon explodes after his fire breathing holes are plugged.  His innards are sprayed everywhere.

Synopsis

Hiccup is the unassuming hero in this book.  He is the son of the viking Chief Stoik but unfortunately, lacks the brawn and brutal manner that is so important in his culture.   As part of a right of passage, Hiccup must capture a dragon and prove that he has trained it.  This doesn’t turn out well. He comes back with the smallest, most common dragon that doesn’t even have teeth.   Discouraged, Hiccup talks with his grandfather Old Wrinkley who is trying his hand at predicting the future.  His grandfather tells Hiccup that there is hope and  that he will eventually become a hero.  Hiccup finds that using his brains can be just as important as using brawn.  He does eventually save his tribe from a gigantic sea dragon using his clever tricks.

A fun read for those that enjoy a quirky sense of humor.   There are silly illustrations and ink splots all through the book adding to its youthful appeal.  Hiccup is the true underdog hero that we all find ourselves rooting for.

©2010 The Literate Mother

Language: 2

Violence: 3

Sexual Content: 0

Adult Themes: 1

Title: The Titan’s Curse

Author: Rick Riordan

Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Ratings Explanation

Language: Referring to the Olympian gods, “Oh my gods” and “thank the gods” used as exclamations. Percy and his friends visit Hoover dam, in jest they refer to the “dam bathroom, dam french fries, dam snack bar” and laugh about it.

Violence: A monster masquerading as a professor changes back into his true form and shoots poison darts at Percy, then Annabeth stabs the monster with a sword.  There is a fair amount of sword fighting in the book. A vicious, armed game of capture the flag. Thalia blasts Percy with electricity. Skeletons, under the direction of “The General”, attack Percy and his friends. They try to destroy the skeletons but they are able to reform. They are also attacked by a lion and they kill it with arrows. The skeletons shoot at them and hit Percy but he is wearing a bulletproof fur coat so he is not harmed. They stab the skeletons and they explode in flames. A giant pig destroys the skeletons, smashing them to pieces. A giant metal statue attacks them and a character dies trying to save her friends. A battle with Atlas using arrows, spears, javelins and swords. A character falls 50 feet off a cliff and his broken body lies on the rocks below. A biplane shoots machine guns at the monster army. A character dies from a dragon bite.

Adult Themes: Good vs. evil. One character is disowned by her family and her father is the cause of her death.

Synopsis

In the third installment of the Percy Jackson series, Percy and 4 others are off on a quest to rescue Annabeth and Artemis and thwart the dark plan of the rising Kronos. Traveling cross country from Washington DC to San Francisco, they again encounter several mythical monsters bent on stopping their progress. According to the oracle’s prophecy, this quest will only succeed with the ultimate sacrifice of one of their own.

I enjoy this series. Percy is a very likable hero, humble and flawed, but strong and brave too. All my reading-age children have read this series and loved it.

©2010 The Literate Mother

Language: 0

Violence: 2

 Sexual Content: 0

Adult Themes: 1

Title:  The Dark Hills Divide:  The Land of Elyon Book 1

Author: Patrick Carman

 Ratings Explanation

Violence: Pervis, a city guard, verbally belittles Alexa and destroys some of her personal property.  Two evil cats are killed after being crushed by bookcases.  A group of convicts joins together to take over the city.  Alexa hits a man in the leg with a fire poker.  The impact causes bleeding and a broken bone.  The same man admits killing Warvold, a city leader and friend to Alexa.  Alexa’s wolf friend attacks the man, causing further damage to the injured leg.  Alexa’s friend, Yipes, keeps the attacker at bay with a knife.

Adult Themes:  Alexa is with an important city official and friend when he dies. She describes the feeling of his cold bony wrists and cold clammy skin.  A boy with dwarfism is shunned by society and leaves the city to live on his own.  Prisoners are branded with letters indicating their crimes.    Alexa  spends some time in a prison, with rank smells and sounds, trying to find answers to her questions.

 Synopsis

Alexa, a small but clever twelve year old girl, visits the city of Bridewell every summer with her father, a political leader.  Bridewell and three nearby cities are surrounded by a high, stone  wall to protect the citizens from an unseen evil that lives outside of them. These walls have been there for as long as Alexa can remember and she has always wondered what lay beyond them.  One sad night after watching her old friend Warvold die suddenly, she finds a key in his hand.  Alexa takes it without telling anyone in  hopes that the key will help her find the answers that she has been looking for. This key and her curiosity lead Alexa to a map which shows a way out of the city and beyond its walls.  Alexa is determined to follow the map which leads to an enchanted land.  Here she finds a friend and guide in Yipes a dwarf.  Yipes introduces Alexa to the talking animals that inhabit this enchanted land.  These animals help her to find the answers she is seeking.  Alexa also discovers that Bridewell is in danger of being taken over by convicts filled with revenge for past wrongs.  Her courage and wit help to save the city and expose an unknown, powerful enemy.

I enjoyed this story, the first in its series.  Alexa was an engaging character, small for her age but full of curiosity and adventure.  Her friends Yipes the dwarf and Murphy the talking squirrel made unique supporting characters.  There are a few intense moments that are not overly graphic but could be intimidating to some young and sensitive readers.

Language: 0

Violence: 2

Sexual Content: o

Adult Themes: 2

Title: The Diamond in the Window

Author: Jane Langton

Ratings Expanation

Violence:  The children have nightmares during which any injury received carries over to when they are awake.  During these dreams the children become trapped in a giant shell, caught in an avalanche of building of blocks and are chased by an evil man with a long sword who eventually falls on it, ending his life.

Adult Themes:  Ed and Eleanor are orphans cared for by their parents’ siblings.  Their Uncle Eddy has suffered severe emotional trauma due to the disappearance of his younger siblings Ned and Nora.  He is shunned and teased by the townspeople.  Aunt Lily’s love, Prince Krishna, turns up missing as well after trying to find the two missing children.  The bank threatens to take the family’s home if back taxes are not payed.  Eleanor and Eddy worry where they will live.

Synopsis

Eleanor and Eddy Hall live in an eccentric old house in Concord Massachusetts.  The children are in the care of their deceased parents’ siblings, Uncle Freddy and Aunt Lily.  Uncle Freddy was once a respected authority on the local transcendentalism (Emerson, Alcott and Thoreau are historical residents there), but after the disappearance of his younger siblings, Ned and Nora,  Uncle Freddy’s mind is never the same.  Aunt Lily does her best to hold the family together and support them by teaching piano lessons until the bank shows up demanding that all the back taxes on the home be paid by a certain date.  Eleanor and Eddy worry what will become of them all.  The town already looks on them as outcasts.  One summer day changes it all when the two go exploring in the attic.  They find  a room that seems to have remained untouched since Ned and Nora’s time.  It had two little beds and a collection of toys and is lit by a colored glass window.  Upon closer inspection, the window reveals a message or poem of sorts with the title Transcendental Treasure.  Intrigued by a possible treasure that may help them save their home, Eddy and Eleanor beg to move into the attic.  Once settled, the children find their dreams at night go along with clues from the poem etched on the window.  They also discover that the dreams are somehow real.  Whatever happens, good or bad, is reflected in the real world when they awake.   They also catch glimpses of Ned, Nora and Aunt Lily’s love, Prince Krishna.  They do find treasure throughout their adventures, but not the kind that brings them money.  Their adventures became more and more dangerous the closer they come to the final clue.  In the end, Eleanor and Eddy break the spell holding Ned, Nora and Prince Krishna prisoner all these years and return them to a recovered Uncle Freddy and a grateful Aunt Lily.  They also come away with a greater understanding of the treasures life has to offer.

I don’t think this book is in print currently but, it is available through places like Amazon.  It is actually a first in a series of the Hall Family Chronicles by Jane Langton.  A truly unique children’s book with a great mixture of adventure and true life lessons.  I am a little partial, because I too am a fan of Emerson, Alcott and Thoreau.   One of my favorite Uncle Freddy quotes is ‘… we are all sculptors and painters, and our material is our own flesh and blood and bones… So carve yourself well!” A great read for young and old.

©2009 The Literate Mother

Language: 1

Violence: 2

Sexual Content: 1

Adult Themes: 2

Title:  Water Song:  A Retelling of “The Frog Prince”

 Author: Suzanne Weyn

Ratings Explanation

Language: A couple of common swear words and two uses of the name of deity.

Violence: War violence, gun fire, bombing, poisonous gas.  Describes some suffering of the soldiers that were gassed while in the trenches.  Jack is seriously injured from the gas.  His skin is peeling and eyes are swollen shut.  One soldier’s pockets are stuffed with rocks and then he is shot and thrown into a pond.  Emma and Jack’s lives are both threatened if they do not cooperate with the enemy.  During their escape, both Jack and Emma are shot at.  Emma is wounded.

Sexual Content:  Jack asks for a kiss several times throughout the story.

Adult Themes:  The setting of the story is during WWI.  Bombing and gun shots are a common background to everything.  Emma’s mother is killed during a bombing.  Back home no one has heard from Emma or her dead mother and some assume the mother has run off with someone.  Emma is asked to be a spy and betray her country by giving information to the enemy.  A younger Jack was accused of pick pocketing.  Jack’s mother was a type of witch doctor who used chants, dreams and herbs to help heal others.

Synopsis:

Thinking they are safe from the war, a beautiful, young Emma and her mother travel from their native England to visit the family estate in Belgium.  Unfortunately the war front is closer than expected and Emma’s mother is killed during a bombing attack.  Emma is unable to get home to her father and must remain at the estate with an elderly couple who are the caretakers and her only companions.  One day a rare letter arrives.  It is from her boyfriend who writes to say he is breaking off their relationship because of rumors that her mother has run away with another man.  Infuriated, Emma tosses his picture, contained in an heirloom locket, down a nearby well.   After cooling off, she remembers that the locket also contained the only pictures she has of her parents.  Desperate, she climbs down the well to retrieve her necklace.  Before coming to the bottom, Emma is surprised to find that someone else is already there.  His eyes are large and swollen, his skin is peeling and he cannot talk without having a severe coughing fit.  She decides to help him out of the well and ask the caretakers to nurse him back to health.  Upon coming out of the well, Emma and her new patient are greeted by armed German soldiers then ordered to return to the estate.  The estate has been taken over by the German army who is using its impressive views to monitor the battle fields below.  Emma and the injured man, Jack, are locked in the master bedroom.  Only a caretaker is allowed in and out to bring in food and care for Jack.  As Jack recovers, he begs Emma to give him a kiss.  She is repulsed by his looks and forwardness and refuses him.  This odd ritual continues on a daily basis. Emma finally promises to be his true friend and Jack is satisfied.  Eventually, Emma is allowed to visit the local market accompanied by guards to get supplies and pick up any useful information for the German soldiers.  She is tempted to escape but remembers her promise to be Jack’s true friend.  As tensions build at the estate, Emma and Jack learn to get along and enjoy each others company.  The soldiers soon tire of their prisoners and plan to kill them.  Jack and Emma have gained useful information about the Germans and know they must escape as soon as possible.  They also have gained more than a friendship and discover that they truly love each other.  After many close calls they reach the safety of a neighboring town and continue to help the allied forces win the war and give peace to the war-torn land.

This book is part of a series called Once Upon a Time. Each book is a retelling of a different fairy tale.   I enjoyed this retelling of the not so common Frog Prince.  The WWI European setting was a unique time period for this story.  I thought that the  author’s develpment of Jack as the  Frog Prince was very clever and realistic.  I also appreciated that the author included the underlying moral of the classic tale.  You really can’t judge a book (or frog) by its cover.

©2009 The Literate Mother

Language: 1

Violence: 2

Sexual Content: 1

Adult Themes: 2

Title:  At Home in Mitford

Author:  Jan Karon

Ratings Explanation

Language:  A few common swear words and liberal use of the name of deity.  Two uses of the word nigger from some unkind and prejudiced town folk.

Violence:  School boys fighting.  Officer shot during an attempted drug bust. 

Sexual Content:  Alludes to two out-of-wedlock pregnancies.  Father Tim has a strong desire to kiss the woman next door.

Adult Themes:  Racial prejudice, alcoholic mother giving up her five children, burglary, drug making, death of spouse and serious health issues.  All of these are tastefully mentioned and not elaborated on.

Synopsis

Father Tim, rector of 12 years for the small North Carolina town of Mitford, is finding himself a little burned out and feeling empty at the end of the day.  His doctor and secretary have repeatedly encouraged him to take some time for himself, but to Father Tim, caring for his parishioners is a full time job.  However, help comes to him in the strangest ways. First is a new companion, in the form of a  sofa-sized homeless dog, that is liberal with his affectionate and slobbery kisses and controlled only through the reciting of scripture.  Second is an ill-mannered,  eleven year old mountain boy, Dooley, who has been living with his grandfather until his recent bout with pneumonia.   Then there is Puny Bradshaw, the house help hired by the parish to care for their beloved rector, that takes her job more serious than most.  Mix in a jewel thief, a sixty year old mystery, a heart transplant patient, and an attractive new neighbor and Father Tim ends up needing to take a real vacation in the end.

  This book is not an attention grabbing page turner.   It is rather like sipping a relaxing cup of hot cocoa, and snuggling in a warm blanket on a rainy day.  It was a breath of fresh air and a reminder of true humanity and neighborly love. 

 ©2009 The Literate Mother

Language: 0

Violence: 3

Sexual Content: 0

Adult Themes: 2

Title: Seekers: The Quest Begins

Author: Erin Hunter

Ratings Explanation

Violence: Animal kingdom violence. Bear kills a rabbit by sinking his teeth into its neck (it ends up being a dream), bear kills 3 seal cubs, mother bear is killed by orca whale, bears kill birds and rabbits to eat, bears attack each other over territories. A bear attacks a zookeeper. A bear, who is a shape shifter and turns into a boy, is shot and wounded.

Adult Themes: All three bears in the story are orphaned or abandoned and must make their way alone in the world. Toklo has a sick brother named Tobi. Toklo resents him because  their mother gives Tobi all of her attention and because he slows down their progress.  When Tobi dies their mother looses her senses. Thinking that Toklo is also dead, she tries to bury him. When she realizes that Toklo is alive, she chases him away and abandons him.

Synopsis

Seekers: The Quest Begins follows 3 young bears separated from their families as cubs. Navigating the dangerous world on their own is no easy task, but they all receive help along the way and also learn to help others. This is the first in the Seekers series.

We read this book aloud as a family and it took a REALLY long time. No one seemed to be very interested in it. Some books just aren’t written to be read aloud and perhaps this is one of them. I don’t plan on reading any more of the books in this series, but if your child really likes animal stories they just might enjoy this book.

Language: 2

Violence: 4

Sexuality: 2

Adult Themes: 3

Title: Inkheart

Author: Cornelia Funke

Ratings Explanation

Language:  Aunt Elinor curses often.  “Elinor swore a lot, and the more upset she was the worse her language became.”  The only words mentioned specifically are “damn” and “bloody hell” and one instance of diety.  Elinor is also referred to as a “fat woman” (offensive language in my house).

Violence:  The villains are from the middle ages.  They use brute force first and may or may not ask questions later.  Dead roosters are their calling card.  They infest the hills surrounding their village base with venomous snakes.  People condemned to death are put in a crypt under the church to die.  Tires are slashed.  Capricorn’s henchmen shoot shotgun rounds at the escaping prisoners.  While Elinor is driving the escape car, she collides with a stone wall.  Farid is bitten by a marten (a furry creature) and his finger bleeds profusely.  Farid hits Flatnose in the forehead with a rock and knocks him unconscious.  Mo is bitten by a dog and his sleeve is covered in blood.  Eleanor holds a shotgun to Basta’s head and threatens to kill him.  Flatnose and Basta are gagged, tied up and the left in the hills.  Basta uses his knife to slit throats and gash faces.  Dustfinger’s face is scarred by Basta’s knife.  Basta cut a pattern into Dustfinger’s face when they both fancied the same girl.  Dustfinger pulls a knife on Mortimer.  Flatnose puts his hand over a woman’s mouth to keep her quiet and she dies.  Farid snares a rabbit and kills it. Farid recalls beatings by the thieves, “they beat me like a dog”.  Tresa and Dustfinger are held captive in dangling nets.  Meggie and Fenoglio are kidnapped by Basta and Flatnose.  Capricorn threatens to wrap “pretty little vipers” around loved one’s necks, he threatens, “You all love something…”.  Capricorn seeks the submission of all.  The Shadow submits to Capricorn.  The Shadow is immortal, invulnerable and as pitiless as Capricorn.   The Shadow kills many.  An execution is planned and they hope the executioner is good with the sword so it will be over quickly.  Meggie kicks Basta in the shins and he drags her back up the stairs by the hair.  Dustfinger has the opportunity to kill Basta and he nearly takes it as he runs the knife over Basta’s flesh.  Elinor punches Cockerell and bloodies his nose.  Mortimer a.k.a. Silvertongue hides in a shallow grave with skeletal remains.

Sexuality:  Capricorn refers to Meggie as a “pretty little thing” that will come in handy when she is a bit older.  Capricorn has women read out of books by Darius to take care of his  needs.  Basta likes to use snakes to scare women who reject his advances. 

Adult Themes:  Capricorn was subjected to abuse as a child.  “His father, a blacksmith, made him play with hot coals, and sometimes beat him as hard as he beat the iron he forged.  There were more blows if he said ‘I can’t’ or ‘I’ll never do it’.”  Arson.  A trusted authority figure, a policemen, brings escaped prisoners seeking help, back to their captor, Capricorn.  Inkheart is rife with betrayal.

Synopsis

The book’s title is Inkheart “because it’s about a man (Capricorn) whose wicked heart is as black as ink, filled with darkness and evil.”

Meggie is twelve years old.  She and her father, Mortimer, have been constantly on the move since she was three years old.  Mortimer is a book binder.  They are both avid book lovers and voracious readers.  Curiously, Mortimer has never read to Meggie aloud.  One night, an old acquaintance, Dustfinger loiters under the street light in front of their home.  He is invited inside and therein begins the adventure for Meggie.  The trio of Dustfinger, Mortimer and Meggie travel to great-aunt Elinor’s to hide.  Mortimer is found and taken captive by the villains.  Meggie, Elinor and Dustfinger then travel to Capricorn’s hide-out to convince him to free Mortimer.  Meggie’s eyes are opened to her father’s mysterious talent.  When Mortimer reads aloud, the story escapes from the pages of the book, and is transplanted into their world.  Meggie soon discovers that she also possesses the gift.  Meggie discovers how to use her imagination to save her family.

“Inkheart” the movie will be released Friday, January 23rd, 2009.  The movie will no doubt pale in comparison to the book.  They always do.  However, if  the movie is 2/3 what the book is, it will be a fantastic movie!  The bags under my eyes are ENORMOUS today, after reading this book into the wee hours of the morning.  The adventure was captivating!  I was disappointed by the survival of two of  the villians, Basta and Mortola.  However, their existence is a perfect segway into a sequel. 

FYI: Inkheart was first written in German and then translated into English.  The writing style is superb.  As a lover of the printed word, I found the inclusion of book binding history to be fascinating. 

1/27/09  We saw the movie last night and the plot drastically departs from the plot in the book.  My husband, children and I all enjoyed the movie, but it is very loosely based upon the book’s premise.  My children were surprised when I outlined the differences and now they would like the book read aloud to them.

©2009 The Literate Mother

 Language:1

Violence: 5

Sexuality: 4

Adult Themes: 2

Title: Eclipse – Twilight Series, Book 3

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Ratings Explanation

Language: Bella writes a note to Edward – “Screw the protecting me crap.”  She also demands, “What the hell is this all about?”

Violence:   A clash between the werewolves and the Cullen Coven as they try to capture Victoria who treads along the boundary between the Quileute Reservation and the Town of Forks.  Rosalie refers to Bella’s experience in Twilight, where Bella was cornered by four men that were planning to rape her, had Edward not rescued her.  Rosalie recounts her last human experience.  She was violently raped by her wealthy fiance’ and his cluster of friends.  One friend ”…looked me over like I was a horse he was buying.”  The five men raped Rosalie and left her in the street for dead.  Rosalie was rescued by Carlisle and transformed into a vampire.  Rosalie systematically killed all who had raped her.  Jacob’s hand gets sliced by a boning knife while doing dishes with Bella.  Vampires break into Bella’s home and steal belongings that have her scent on them.  The Newborn Vampire Army creates havoc in Seattle with hundreds of unexplained deaths.  Jasper recounts gruesome vampire wars in Mexico.  Bella attends a tribal council with Jacob, where the History of the Quileutes is recounted.  The history includes the vampire’s slaughter of their tribe.  The suicide sacrifice of Taha Aki’s wife, as well as the tribe’s metamorphisis into werewolf protectors.  Jacob physically forces himself upon Bella, kissing her.  Bella breaks her hand punching him in the jaw.  Victoria and Riley, evil vampires, fight Edward and Seth the Werewolf.  The werewolf rips Riley the vampire to pieces and dismembers his body.  Edward kills Victoria.  The Cullen Coven defeat the Newborn Vampire Army.   The Cullen Coven collect the pieces of the dismembered corpses of the vampires and burn them.  A Newborn Vampire girl survives the battle.  She cannot control her thirst.  The Volturi arrive and dispose of the girl.  

Sexuality:  Meyer’s describes the most innocent of kisses in a very slow, sensuous manner.  Charlie, Bella’s father asks her if they are having  sex.  Bella is mortified.  She has never been immoral.  Jacob Black and Edward are described in vivid detail.  ie.) “..six foot seven inches of Jacob’s long body, muscled up the way no normal sixteen-and-a-half-year -old ever had been.  I saw those eyes rake over his tight black t-shirt….”  Werewolves are imprinted to their mate.  They instantly know who their soul mate is when they see them.  Quil imprints when he sees a two year old girl.  (He will be her friend, until she is older and comes to the realization that they are mates.)  Edward tells Bella, “You look…sexy.” Edward lifts her onto a counter to kiss him.   Bella does not want to give up the human experience of sex.  She begins to take her clothes off the seduce Edward.  Edward tells Bella he will not have sex with her until they are married.  She gives him a hard time about protecting his virtue.  He will not back down.  He is protecting her virtue as well.  Bella freezes in a snowstorm.  Jacob has to be the one to warm her up, since werewolves are hot-blooded.  Edward is upset, but sees that he has to allow Jacob to climb in Bella’s sleeping bag to warm her up.  Jacob suggests Bella take her clothes off and she would warm up really fast.  Edward tells Jacob to control his thoughts.  (Edward can read other’s thoughts.)  Jacob and Bella share an intense first kiss. 

Adult Themes:  Bella lies to her father about where she is going so that she can spend the weekend with Edward.  Bella loves both Jacob and Edward.  She can envision her life with each of them.  She has to make a decision and live with the consequences. 

Synopsis

Bella and Edward are back to together again.  Bella laments the passing of time.  Each day is a day she will be older than her non-aging vampire boyfriend, Edward, who was transformed into a vampire, when he was just seventeen.  The last few months of high school rapidly pass as Bella anxiously awaits and woefully dreads graduation.  Bella’s human days are numbered.  She tries to live her final human experiences to the fullest.  Bella has decided that after graduation she will become a vampire; and she desires Edward to be the one to make her immortal.  Edward agrees, if and only if they are married first.  Bella ponders the consequences of her impending decision to become a vampire.  Most poignantly, the impact upon family and friends.  She is fearful of what she may become.

Bella discovers that she is torn between her love for Edward and surprisingly, her unrequited love for her best friend, Jacob.  She wishes she could be divided in two and live both lives.

Meanwhile, Victoria seeks revenge.   She has created an army of “Newborn Vampires”, who are ravaging the city of Seattle.  (Victoria was James, “ The Tracker’s” mate, from the first book, Twilight.  In Twilight, the Cullen Coven dismembered and burned James – the only way to kill a vampire; to save Bella’s life.)  The werewolves and the Cullen Coven unite to fend off the “Newborn Vampire” Army.  Edward and Jacob personally unite to protect Bella.  The Volturi, from book two, New Moon, also make a chilling appearance after the vicious battle is fought.

Meyer’s talent lies in capturing the intense emotions you experience in a first crush/first kiss/first love.  The soap opera quality of the Twilight Series hooks young and younger readers alike, as you consume the drivel to see ”What will happen next?”.   In book three, Bella is finally developing into a more mature character.  She thinks about the ramifications of her impending “immortal” decision.  What will be most identifiable to young readers will be Bella’s torn heart, between her “True Love”, Edward and her “Best Friend”, Jacob.  Bella will always wonder what her life would have been like had she chosen the other. 

Bella Swann, as a role-model to young women is extremely discouraging.  Bella has redeeming character traits.  Bella is a responsible teenager, who competently handles the running of a household.  She grocery shops, prepares meals, and does her laundry, in addition to being an A+ student.  Bella also expresses maturity in relationships with her peers. 

Although, Bella’s relationship with Edward is unhealthy.  Bella has low self-esteem.  (Most teenage girls will identify easily with this.)  Bella is extremely self-deprecating, and she frequently describes Edward as perfect.  She juxtaposes her woeful inadequecies next to his perfection in her thoughts and voice.  Bella constantly diminishes her self-worth and her frequent self- descriptive words are “ordinary” and “regular”. 

The underlying message is, “Bella is of exceptional value, as long as someone of the opposite sex loves her.”  Edward is perfection.  Bella reminds us of his perfection and how lucky she is to have him.  Never does she acknowledge that she deserves to have someone attractive love her.  All of Edward’s controlling behaviors are deemed acceptable, and forgiven, on the premise that he loves her.

Eclipse would definitely be a great book to open discussion regarding self-worth, as well as the importance of virtue in relationships.  Eclipse is more appropriate for high school age readers.

©2009 The Literate Mother

Language: 1

Violence:  3

Sexuality: 2

Adult Themes: 2

Title: New Moon

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Series: The Twilight Saga, Book 2

 Ratings Explanation

 Language: 7 instances of “hell” and 6 instances of “damn”.

 Violence: While at the Cullen’s home, Bella cuts her arm and is nearly attacked by Jasper. Edward defends her. Bella encounters Laurent in the forest, a vampire who would very  much like to kill Bella since she smells so good and the Cullens are not around to protect her. Werewolves patrol the forest, save Bella and kill Laurent. Victoria, the vampire mate of James, who Edward killed in Twilight, is stalking Bella. She wants to kill Edward’s mate since Edward killed her mate. Hikers disappear; killed by either Laurent or Victoria. Bella engages in self-destructive behavior in order to hear Edward’s voice in her head. She discovers that when she is in danger, he “speaks” to  her, although he is nowhere near. Bella then tries out motorcycle riding, ending in injuries, and cliff diving, nearly resulting in her drowning. After her near drowning, Edward thinks that Bella is dead and goes to Italy to ask the Volturi to kill him. While in Italy to save Edward, Bella witnesses a roomful of 40 or more tourists who are brought into the Volturi’s lair on a “sightseeing” tour. That, of course, ends poorly for the tourists who become dinner for the Volturi clan. Bella is especially affected by a small, dark woman with a rosary and a cross. As Bella, Edward, and Alice escape, they hear the tourists screaming.

 Sexuality: Edward is actually absent for most of the book, so there isn’t too much kissing, but some of it is a little intense. “…his lips became much more urgent, his free hand twisted into my hair and held my face securely to his. And, though my hands tangled in his hair, too, and though I was clearly beginning to cross his cautious lines, for once he didn’t stop me. His body was cold through the thin quilt, but I crushed myself against him eagerly. “After Edward returns, as in the first book, he stays in Bella’s bed with her most nights. In another scene, “I could feel his marble body against every line of mine.”

 Adult Themes: Bella is so distraught when Edward leaves that she can barely hold herself together. She abandons her other friends and just barely functions. Charley wants her to see a therapist, but she refuses. Jacob loves Bella, but to her he is only a best friend. She knows she is leading him on, but can’t stay away from him because he fills the void left by Edward. Alice steals two cars while in Italy. Bella deceives her father by having Edward in her room at night.

 Synopsis

In the second installment of the Twilight Saga, Bella and Edward are very much in love. An unfortunate accident in which Bella is nearly attacked by Edward’s “brother” Jasper, emphasizes the differences between them and the potential danger Bella is exposed to when she is around his vampire family. In an effort to protect her, Edward leaves Forks and abandons Bella. Alone and seriously depressed, Bella begins hanging out with Jacob, an old family friend. With Jacob’s help, Bella begins to heal from losing Edward, but Jacob has a dark secret of his own. When Edward  believes that Bella is dead, he goes to Italy to ask the Volturi to kill him. Only seeing Bella in the flesh will convince him that she is still alive, but the Volturi do not take kindly to humans who know their secret. Can they escape Italy alive and together?

With Edward gone, Bella is a mess. I worry a little that young girls will think that this is how you are supposed to feel, and act, when your boyfriend breaks up with you.

The story is a page turner. Of the four books, this one is probably the least sensual since Edward is gone for the majority of the book. Still, not a series for young girls. My recommended age is high school.

©2009 The Literate Mother

Language: 1

Violence: 4

Sexuality: 3

Adult Themes: 3

Title:  Twilight

Author:  Stephenie Meyer

#1 New York Times Bestseller

Ratings Explanation

Language: References to rapidly uttered profanities spoken by the vampires – unintelligible to the human ear.  Bella claims Forks is her personal hell.

Violence:  The preface foreshadows Bella’s hopelessness as the hunter saunters toward her to kill her.  A van hits ice in the school parking lot and slides toward her.  If not for Edward’s stealth, she would have been crushed.  Blood typing in science class.  Every student has to prick their finger with a lancet.  Bella has a nightmare of Jacob the Werewolf and Edward the Vampire squaring off to fight.  Bella researches vampires and discovers the Romanian Varacolaci, a powerful undead human being who could appear as a beautiful, pale-skinned human, the Slovak Nelapsi, a creature so strong and fast it could massacre an entire village in the single hour after midnight.  Bella takes a girl’s shopping trip to Port Angeles.  She leaves their company in search of a book store.  Bella is herded and surrounded by four raucous men in a deserted industrial area.  Bella is terrified and knows there is no escape.  Fortunately, she is saved by Edward.  Although, thanks to Edward’s mind-reading capabilities, it is obvious that Bella would have been a victim of rape.  Edward confirms that he is indeed a vampire.  He warns Bella not to go into the woods alone.  There are things far more dangerous than him out there.  Edward describes how vampires hunt their prey.  “….we give ourselves over to our senses….govern less with our minds.  Especially our sense of smell.”  Edward tells Bella that he could have easily killed her when they first met.  “There was only one other frail human there – so easily dealt with.”  Edward also recounts how he was turned into a vampire.  He recounts the grisly description of Carlisle’s transformation from human to vampire.  Violence recounted from the 1600’s - the deaths of many innocent people.  Carlisle attacks a deer and his thirst is quenched, he vows to drink the blood of animals and not humans.  James the tracker desires Bella’s blood.  Alice describes how to become a vampire to Bella.  The bite, the incapacitating venom, and the blood-lust that ensue.  James attacks Bella.  Bella receives a crushing blow to the chest, her head crunches into the mirrors.  James steps on her leg, snapping the bone.  The glass from the mirrors, rips her scalp open and the blood soaks her.  James bites her hand and the venom begins to spread.  James is destroyed, meaning, torn into pieces by the Cullen Coven of vampires and burned.

Sexuality:  Twilight is a very sensual book.  Every interaction between Bella and Edward is amplified and described in a slow, sensuous manner.  Edward is described in repetitive detail, denoting his beautifully chiseled marble face etc.  ie) “Again, the fabric clung to his perfectly muscled chest.  It was a tribute to his face that it kept my eyes away from his body.”  Edward watches Bella sleep each night.  Eventually, he sleeps holding her in his arms in her bed.  As Edward is in her room, Bella notes that her father is in the house.  Bella watches as a waitress coyly suggests to Edward “Isn’t there anything I can get you?”   Intense first kiss, with Bella’s human reaction lacking in self-control as she wraps herself around Edward.  Bella curiously asks if vampires can have sex.

Adult Themes: Vampires – The Cold Ones, Blood Drinkers.  Bella deals with the complications of divorced parents.  Bella’s mother lives with her boyfriend, Phil.  Bella deliberately and unnecessarily takes cold medicine to knock herself out – gratuitous drug use.

Synopsis

Isabella Swan is seventeen years old.  “Bella’s” parents are divorced.  Mid-school year, Bella chooses to move to Forks, Washington, where her father resides.  Bella’s father, Charlie, is a single father, who is also the Chief of Police.  Bella leads her mother to believe that she really wants to move to Forks, when she would rather stay in Phoenix.  However, Bella believes her mother will be happier traveling with her boyfriend, Phil, to Florida for Baseball Spring Training.  Phil is an amatuer baseball player, working toward his big break.  Bella sacrifices her comfort for her mother’s happiness.

Bella arrives in Forks with little enthusiasm for her new life.  She quickly begins to realize life in Forks will be anything but dismal.  Her father purchases a “historic truck” for her to drive – forty years new.  Bella is showered with male attention as the “new girl” at Forks High School.  She finds that her pale complexion is an asset in Forks, Washington.  Bella is unaccustomed to so much male attention.  She is mutually humored and stunned by the attempts for her attentions.

Bella experiences her “First Crush/First Love”, with Edward Cullen.  She experiences her first kiss, as well as the intense longings and desires that accompany first love.  Bella discovers that Edward is not just another high school student.  Edward and his “siblings”, are a coven of vampires, who pose as high school students in their quest for co-existence with humans.  They drink the blood of animals instead of humans in order to stave off their thirst for human blood.  Bella is cautiously introduced into Edward’s World  - A World of Vampires.  As Bella participates in a Cullen Family game of baseball, another coven of vampires happens upon the Cullens.  Bella, as the only human, has her life threatened.  James, the leader of the opposing coven is a “tracker”, a hunter, with an insatiable desire for Bella’s blood.  An intense game of ”Hunter and Prey” ensues as the Cullen’s conspire to keep Bella alive and out of James’ grasp.

I first read this book two years ago when a few twelve and thirteen year old girls in my neighborhood told me “I just had to read Twilight”.  I admit, I was intrigued by the plot.  I had to find out how a vampire/human relationship could ever work out.  Meyer’s writing style leaves much to be desired.  Her descriptions are repetitive and unimaginative.  The strength of Meyer’s lies is her ability to capture the intense emotions that a person experiences in their “First Crush/First Kiss/First Love”.  The love story of Bella and Edward is the intense draw for so many young women.  The unattainable uber-attractive male who is just as enamored with the average female as she is with him is a universal desire.  This resounds with every female.  As I re-read Twilight this month, I have been quite surprised to recently see so many 4th and 5th grade readers devouring the Twilight Series.  The Twilight Series is more appropriate for a 9th-12th grade “young adult” reader.  Twilight lends itself to discussing many issues with your young reader: personal safety, drug abuse, theft, honesty, defining self-worth, boundaries in relationships and early sexuality.

©2009 The Literate Mother

Language: 0 

Violence: 3 

Sexual Content: 0

Adult Themes: 0 

Title: The Magician

Author: Michael Scott

Series: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel

Rating Explanation

Violence: The characters are attacked by a creature made of wax. There is a fight between Scatty and 12 French police officers.  She uses swords and nunchaku but there are no deaths. A komodo dragon-like ancient monster is loosed on Paris. It attacks the house where the characters are staying. Scatty fights it, but is finally carried off unconscious. There is sword fighting and fire attacks. The komodo dragon monster is stabbed with a sword several times. The characters descend into the catacombs of Paris, which are creepy, and meet Ares, the God of War. The gargoyles on Notre Dame are brought to life with magic and fight the twins and their friends. The twins destroy the army of gargoyles using their magic.

Synopsis

After narrowly escaping Dr. John Dee in Ojai, Nicholas, Sophie, Josh, and Scatty leave California via a ley line and emerge in Paris, the city Nicholas calls home. Perenelle is still imprisoned at Alcatraz and she and Nicholas continue to age one year for every day they cannot brew their immortality potion. They must retreive the Book of Abraham the Mage, but now the powerful Niccolo Machiavelli is on Dee’s side. Defeating them both to get the book will be nearly impossible. Nicholas still believes that Sophie and Josh are the twins of the prophecy and that together they are capable of anything, but first Sophie must learn the Magic of Fire and Josh’s powers must be awakened. There is only one in Paris who can awaken Josh, and there will be a price to be paid.

I really like this series. It is exciting and compelling with a great deal of action, yet it is not gory or inappropriate for younger readers. Both books have certainly held my interest and I am looking forward to the next book, The Sorceress, which will be released in May of 2009.

©2009 The Literate Mother

Language: 1 

Violence: 2 

Sexual Content: 0 

Adult Themes: 1 

Title: The Alchemyst

Author: Michael Scott

Series: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel

Rating Explanation

Language: One instance of profanity

Violence: There is an explosion in which creatures are destroyed. Fighting between humans, both mortal and immortal, and magical creatures. Many creatures are killed as is one person, but she’s not human.  Many of the magical creatures are quite creepy, some half-human and half-animal, “men” made from mud (Golems), wereboars (like werewolves, but boars) and skeletons and mummies. In one scene, the evil magician raises all of the dead from a cemetery and controls their skeletons to fight for him. Most of these are destroyed in the ensuing battle. Nicholas’s wife is kidnapped and held prisoner.

Adult Themes: For the most part, magic is fun to read about. I would say that is true for this book as well, but the bad guy in this book is a necromancer. To me, this is a little more creepy than your regular magic.

Synopsis

Josh and Sophie Newman are 15-year old twins spending their summer in San Francisco. They are average teenagers who work summer jobs, text their friends and listen to their ipods. But one summer day they stumble into a centuries old feud between two competing magicians. They discover that Josh’s boss, Nick, is the famous alchemist Nicholas Flamel and that he and his wife, Perenelle, are over 600 years old. Nick’s nemesis, Dr. John Dee, kidnaps Perenelle and steals the ancient book of Abraham the Mage. Nick needs Abraham’s book to brew their immortality potion because without it, he and Perry will age one year for each day they live. Time is literally running out for them. Abraham’s book also contains a prophecy about two who can either save or destroy the world. Could this prophecy refer to Josh and Sophie? Now the twins, Nick, and an ancient warrior, who is a vegetarian vampire, are on the run to escape John Dee, reclaim and book and rescue Perry.

I had a hard time putting this book down! Well written and full of interesting mythology, Scott left me ready to read the second book, The Magician. The third book in the series, The Sorceress, will be available in May of 2009.

©2009 The Literate Mother

Language: 0 

Violence: 3 

Sexuality: 0 

Adult Themes: 2 

Title:  Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Harry Potter Series – Book One

Author: J.K. Rowling

Ratings Explanation

Violence:  The story of Harry’s parents death is recounted.  Cousin Dudley is cursed with a pig’s tail.  A troll sneaks into Hogwarts and creates havoc.  Harry and Ron attempt to rescue Hermione and take on the troll.  Ron puts a spell on the troll’s club and it hits the troll on the head which knocks him out.  A baby dragon nips and bites fingers.  A three-headed monstrous dog scares Harry, Hermione and Ron and almost bites off Professor Snape’s leg.  Harry is nearly killed playing Quidditch, as he falls from the sky.  Hermione puts a “full body bind” spell on Neville and he falls to the floor.  A large plant, “Devil’s Snare” nearly suffocates Harry and Ron to death.  The Chess Queen knocks Ron unconscious with her stone arm.  The most chilling and violent scene is when Harry comes upon Voldemort, a “slithering shadow” as he has just killed the innocent, a unicorn.  Harry sees Voldemort lower his head over the wound in the animal’s side and drink its blood.  Harry encounters Voldemort again, who has taken over Quirrell’s body as they wrestle for the Sorcerer’s Stone.

Adult Themes:  Harry is grossly neglected by the Dursley’s.  Age old battle of good vs. evil.  The evil states there is no good vs. evil, only power and those too weak to see it.

Synopsis

Harry Potter is an orphan.  His parents were killed by the evil villian, Voldemort, while he was still a baby.  Harry is unaware of who he really is.  Professor Dumbledore leaves Harry, as a baby, on his relative’s doorstep, where he spends the first eleven years of his life living with his aunt, uncle and cousin.  The Dursley’s treat Harry horribly.  He is neglected.  He sleeps in a tiny closet at the bottom of the stairs.  On Harry’s eleventh birthday, he is hit with a barrage of letters informing him of his acceptance at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  His life changes as he attends Hogwarts and discovers who he really is – a famous child whom Voldemort could not kill.  Harry makes friends and enemies as he learns about the world of wizardry.  Harry has a chilling encounter with Voldemort as they vie for the Sorcerer’s Stone.

Each year, an entirely new group of children are introduced to reading the Harry Potter Series.  Ansel, my fourth grader, and I read this together aloud in a week’s time, by alternating paragraphs.   (Grab that glass of water.)  I found myself tempted to open the book while he was still at school.  This first book whet the appetite of both my young readers.  Unbeknownst to me, my first grader, Helena was often listening while playing in the same room.  We are currently reading book two aloud and Helena persistently asks when we can read the next chapter.  I believe I am now locked into reading the entire series aloud.  This first book was action packed and I thoroughly enjoyed Rowling’s sense of humor.

{FYI:  I have an unofficial tally of “orphan” hero’s and heroine’s in literature…..add this book to your own personal list.}

©2009 The Literate Mother

Language: 0 

Violence: 1 

Sexual Content: 0 

Adult Themes: 1 

Title: Found

Author: Margaret Peterson Haddix

Series: The Missing: Book 1

Rating Explanation

Violence: Two fights involving men punching, kicking, etc. One fight in which teenagers are involved.

Adult Themes: In the story, two boys become friends. One is adopted and the other one, at age 13, finds out that he was also adopted. He is very upset when he discovers that his parents have lied to him about this fact for his whole life.

Synopsis

Chip and Jonah are normal 13-year old boys. They play basketball and do their homework together and they are both adopted. When they both receive mysterious letters about their past, they become involved in a cover-up so big that the FBI is involved. Chip and Jonah and Jonah’s sister Katherine are in a race to solve the mystery before they lose everything they have ever known.

This is the first book in a new series by Margaret Peterson Haddix, author of the Shadow Children series.

My 11-year old is a big fan of the Shadow Children series and so she was very excited about this new book coming out. We both enjoyed it and it is always fun to talk with your child about a book you have both read. It’s a page turner.

©2009 The Literate Mother

Language: 1 

 Violence:1 

Sexual Content: 0 

Adult Themes: 1 

Title: The Maze of Bones

Series: The 39 Clues (Book 1)

Author: Rick Riordan

Rating Explanation

Language: 1 instance of profanity

Violence: The main characters are caught in a fire started by an arsonist. Three people are assumed dead after an explosion, characters are in peril, there is some fighting.

Adult Themes: The main characters are orphans and then their grandmother dies. They feel abandoned and alone.

Synopsis

Amy and Dan Cahill are members of an extremely large and powerful family. At their grandmother’s funeral they and their cousins are presented with a choice to either take one million dollars right now and walk away, or begin a treasure hunt for 39 clues around the world that could lead to the world’s greatest treasure of wealth and power.

The Maze of Bones is the first in a ten book series that will follow Amy and Dan and their greedy cousins around the world searching for the clues to the treasure. Readers can also collect game cards and participate in the treasure hunt online at www.the39clues.com. Book number 2, One False Note, will be available December 2, 2008.

The Maze of Bones is a fun, clean adventure for kids. The violence is minimal and non-graphic and the story clips along. For any kids who have been to Paris, it will be fun to read about familiar landmarks there. Ben Franklin enthusiasts will also enjoy learning some lesser known facts about him.

©2009 The Literate Mother

Language: 1 

Violence: 2.5 

Sexual Content: 3 

Adult Themes: 1 

Title: Breaking Dawn 

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Series: Twilight Series

Rating Explanation – I cannot explain the ratings without giving certain parts of the book away. So if you haven’t read the book and want to be surprised, skip these explanations.

Language: 15 common swear words

Violence: A description of children who, long ago, were turned into vampires. These children were uncontrollable and bloodthirsty. Werewolves kill and eat a deer. Several descriptions of vampires hunting animals and drinking their blood. One vampire is ripped apart and burned (the only way to kill a vampire). Fairly intense birth of a baby, but not your average birth, this one involves lots of broken bones and a vampire’s teeth acting as a scalpel. I’m not sure where to put this bit of information, but Bella, as a human, drinks human blood for her baby.

Sexual Content: One make-out scene on the night before Bella and Edward’s wedding – kissing, legs entwining. Honeymoon description is not explicit, but there is also no doubt about what is going on. After their first night together they discuss the bruises Bella received from their human-vampire encounter. Edward is reluctant to have sex with her again because he is afraid he will hurt her more. Bella is persistent that they continue practicing.

Once Bella becomes a vampire, she has an insatiable sex drive. There aren’t any racy descriptions of their sexual relations, but I would say that overall the book is quite sensual.

Adult Themes: While Bella is pregnant some of the characters think aborting the baby would be best since they do not know exactly what the offspring of a vampire and a human will become. Bella is always resolute about keeping the baby.

Synopsis

In the final book of the Twilight Series, Bella Swan will finally make an eternal decision. She must choose once and for all between the immortal vampire Edward and the werewolf Jacob. Her choice will decide her fate for eternity.

After slogging through the first three books in this series I was glad that Bella’s story was finally going to be over. I am not a huge Twilight fan but I did want to see how everything turned out.  The first half of the book was long, a little slow, and irritating because of Bella’s dependence on Jacob. But once Bella became a vampire I actually really enjoyed the second half of the book. As Bella said herself, she was born to be a vampire and I liked her much better as an immortal beauty than as a clumsy and indecisive human. The ending is a little too tidy with everyone getting exactly what they want, but I guess after all she’s been through Bella deserves a happy ending.

I know many young girls who have read this series, but I personally would not recommend it for anyone younger than high school age because of the sexuality and violence.

©2009 The Literate Mother

Language: 0

Violence: 2

Sexual Content: 0

 Adult Themes: 2 

Title: Among the Hidden

Shadow Children Series – Book One

Author: Margaret Peterson Haddix

Ratings Explanation

Violence: Jen, Luke’s new friend, is a key leader in an underground movement to make shadow children, third children legal. Jen and her fellow shadow children demonstrators are gunned down in a political rally as they peacefully demonstrate for their legality. The violent incident was not witnessed by the main characters, but retold by Jen’s father to Luke. The Population Police search for illegal third children in Jen’s home and Luke desperately hides to avoid execution.

Adult Themes: The society in which the Shadow Children live is governed by a militaristic government. Third children are illegal and are executed for their existence. The country has faced famines in recent history. In order to control the toll starvation has had on the population, they have outlawed third children. There are always food shortages and people live in fear that yet another right will be taken away. Luke’s parents have their farmland taken away. The government clears the land to build mansions for the Baron’s, the wealthy class in society. Luke’s mother takes a job in a chicken factory to make money to buy food, since they will no longer be allowed to raise swine due to the smell’s proximity to the Baron’s homes.

Synopsis

Luke is an illegal third child. He has never been to school, never been in a car, had a birthday party, never seen by his grandparents. Luke is one of the Shadow Children. He has lived his first twelve years in hiding. A new housing development is built on his family’s former farmland. He sees a girl’s face in the window in the middle of the day and is convinced that she too is a third child. He courageously sneaks out to meet her. Jen is willing to risk it all, her very life to come out of the shadows and live. Luke learns about other third children and a plan is conceived to expand rights to the shadow dhildren.

I really enjoyed the premise – a society where rights and privileges that we take for granted do not exist for the characters in the book. I could not wait to see where the story would lead me through the series.

©2009 The Literate Mother

Language: 1

Violence: 2

Sexual Content: 0

Adult Themes: 1

Title: The Sea of Monsters

Author: Rick Riordan

Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Rating Explanation

Language: very mild

Violence: Like in the Lightning Thief, the characters fight and kill many mythical monsters. The characters are almost always in peril, but they always escape. There are battle scenes and sword fights.

Adult Themes: Characters are children of Greek god and human unions, but in this book these relationships are talked about much less.

Synopsis

Percy Jackson is off on another quest with his friends in the second book of the series. Percy, Annabeth, and Tyson, Percy’s newfound cyclopes half-brother, go to the Sea of Monsters to save Grover from Polyphemus and steal the Golden Fleece. The quest for the fleece is actually given to Clarisse, but she needs their help to defeat the Cyclopes and return to save Camp Half-Blood.

I actually enjoyed this book better than The Lightning Thief. Gratefully, it seemed much less like a Harry Potter knock-off than the first book.

In reading both books I realize how much Greek Mythology I have forgotten. They have been a fun refresher course in who’s who in Olympus. The story moves along quickly, always with a new foe on the horizon. I like the surprise ending in this book and will be glad to read #3, The Titan’s Curse. I am going to recommend these books to my 9 year-old son.

©2009 The Literate Mother

Language: 1

Violence: 2

Sexual Content: 0

Adult Themes: 1

Title: The Lightning Thief

Author: Rick Riordan

Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Rating Explanation

Language: Exclamations like, “Thank the gods!”

Violence: Many mythical monster attacks in which all monsters are killed. Some of the monsters look like monsters and some of them are disguised to look like humans. Sword fighting and a vicious game of steal the flag.

 Adult Themes: The main character’s father is an Olympian god, obviously not married to his mortal mother. Talk of adulterous relationships between Olympians and mortals. All of the main characters in the book are children from these god and mortal unions.

 Synopsis

Percy Jackson, a 12-year old who is always getting into trouble at school, discovers he is the son of Poseidon, god of the sea. He also finds out that his best friend, Grover, is a satyr. Grover takes Percy to Camp Half-Blood, a camp for the children of Olympian gods where they learn to fight the monsters that are trying to destroy them. Percy, Grover and Annabeth, daughter of Athena, go on a quest to retrieve Zeus’s stolen thunderbolt. In the process they discover a plot to destroy Western civilization and the Olympians. Their adventure takes them from Hades to Mount Olympus encountering many mythical gods and monsters along the way.

I enjoyed the story but it was impossible to overlook the many similarities to Harry Potter. For example, a young hero who doesn’t know his true identity, a special school for others of his kind, a purely evil power which has been destroyed but is once again gathering strength to regain power, certain names which it is unwise to say aloud, an important prophecy, a wise teacher and mentor, the list goes on and on.

I was really annoyed for the first part of the book, but I got over it and enjoyed the story for what it is. I find The Lightning Thief inferior to Harry Potter, but in all honesty my kids would probably love this book.

©2009 The Literate Mother

Language: 1

Violence: 1

Sexual Content: 1

Adult Themes: 1

Title: Blood is Thicker

Author: Paul Langan and D.M. Blackwell

Rating Explanation

anguage: Handful of swear words

Violence: Fist fight

Sexual content: A boy notices a girl’s body, commenting on her hips and stomach beneath a tight shirt. This is very brief, only part of one sentence.

Adult Themes: Teenager smoking. Teenager offered drugs, but declines. Teenage boy and father argue. There is some family tension.

Synopsis

Hakeem has a good life in California, but now his family is moving to Detroit to live with his uncle’s family. Hakeem and his cousin Savon are the same age and they used to be close, but now they can’t get along. Hakeem knows something is going on with Savon, and it isn’t good. He always seems to have new shoes and CDs, and a lot of cash. One night Hakeem decides to follow Savon and find out what he’s up to. Hakeem is in for a big surprise.

After reading the blurb on the back of the book, I was expecting more objectionable material but I was pleasantly surprised. I thought the book did a good job of portraying the tension of this extended family situation, with the message of relying on and trusting family coming through in the end.

©2009 The Literate Mother

Language: 0

Violence: 0

Sexual Content: 1

Adult Themes: 1  

 Title:  Among the Betrayed

Shadow Children Series – Book Three

Author:  Margaret Peterson Haddix

Ratings Explanation

Sexual Content: Nina and Jason share a kiss. Nina believes their relationship is based on love.

Adult Content:  Lack of food for the population of the country is an underlying theme throughout this series.  The existence of third-born children have been blamed for the people’s hunger.  Nina, an illegal third child,  is turned in to the Population Police by Jason, her boyfriend, and undercover Population Police Informer.  Nina grapples with Jason’s betrayal.  While in prison, she is given the choice to either save herself by betraying her cellmates or face death.  She ultimately trusts her cellmates and they escape prison together.   However, while in prison, the children face starvation, includes a detailed description of hunger and filthy prison cell.

Synopsis

Nina Idi is a shadow child, the illegal third born in her family.  She lives in a society where families are only allowed two children.  Nina has been betrayed by the boy she loved.   She is falsely accused, arrested and thrown into prison by the Population Police.  Nina knows she is innocent of the charges.  She is enraged and confused.

Nina is now faced with a most difficult decision.  She will have to coerce three of her fellow prisoners into admitting they are third children, and she will save herself; or be killed.  Ultimately, what choice will Nina make?  Who should Nina friendship, trust and love? 

Nina has been betrayed and is trying to heal her wounds.  Nina has to learn to trust herself before she can again trust another.  A thoroughly enjoyable read as Haddix accurately describes the emotions of love and betrayal.

©2009 The Literate Mother

  Language: 0 

Violence: 1 

Sexual Content: 0 

Adult Themes: 1

Title:  Among the Imposters 

Shadow Children Series – Book Two

Author:  Margaret Peterson Haddix 

Ratings Explanation

Violence:  Luke Garner is bullied and subjected to emotional and physical hazing as the new student at a boarding school.  Luke hits Jason, the bully, with a textbook.  As a reult, Jason falls down the stairs and is injured.

Adult Content:  Lack of food for the population of the country is an underlying theme throughout this series.  The existence of third-born children have been blamed for the people’s hunger.  Luke Garner has a very difficult time trying to “blend in” and make friends.  He desperately wants a friend.  Luke ultimately befriends an undercover Population Police Informant, Jason, who is looking to expose illegal third children.  Luke confronts Jason and a fight ensues.  Jason sustains a head injury.  If Luke were discovered by the Population Police, he would be killed for being a third child. 

Synopsis 

Luke Garner is out of hiding for the first time in his life.  He has spent the first twelve years of his life in hiding.  Luke is an illegal third child in a society where two children per family are allowed.  If his secret were to be revealed, he would instantly be killed.  Through an underground movement, he has assumed the name of a recently deceased boy, Lee Grant.  Luke is now attending Hendricks School for Boys.  He is terrified that his secret will be discovered.  He is subjected to his classmates brutal hazing.  His instructors are oblivious.

Luke is desperate to blend in.  He unknowingly comes across an unlocked door to the outside.  Luke will have to find the courage to go outside and find out what really takes place at the Hendricks School.

Luke learns to function in society.  He is tested socially and academically as he learns to blend in.  He finds that he is a very courageous person.  This is an enjoyable story of personal success as Luke learns to overcome the many challenges he faces daily.  Ultimately, his character is a catalyst for change throughout society.  

©2009 The Literate Mother