Older Than the Stars

Older Than the Stars
by Karen C. Fox
illustrated by Nancy Davis
J 523.1 FOX

Older Than the Stars creatively presents how the atoms that make up the reader came into being, taking the reader on a journey from the Big Bang to to the present.

There are two components to Older Than the Stars. The first is the main text which is found in a colorful box on each page and is written in an informative easy-to-understand style. The second component, which is what makes the book so wonderful, is a narrative in the style of The House That Jack Built:

“These are the blocks
that formed the bits
that were in the bang
when the world began."

This narrative fills each page spread and is accompanied by vivid illustrations. This narrative’s rhythm is energetic and fun to read aloud. Each verse added is a summary of the main text. A timeline and glossary in the back are helpful references.

Recommended for students interested in science or fans of inventive verse.

Reviewed by Margaret Ballard

The Mysterious Howling

The Mysterious Howling
By Maryrose Wood
J WOO

In this first installment of the wonderfully quirky, funny new series The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, we meet fifteen-year-old Penelope Lumley, the brightest graduate from the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females, who has just been hired for a position as governess at Ashton Place. Lord Frederick, the master of the house, had recently discovered three children on his grounds while hunting for game. The children had apparently been raised by wolves and display lupine tendencies. Lord Frederick, for reasons not explained except for “finders keepers”, decides to keep the children and hire a governess to educate them. He names the foundlings Alexander Incorrigible, Beowulf Incorrigible, and Cassiopeia Incorrigible.

Penelope quickly bonds with the children and begins the task of educating the children while teaching them how to behave in a civilized manner in time for Lady Constance’s Christmas ball. Lessons include reading classic literature and poetry, learning how to dress properly, learning to refrain from chasing squirrels, and Latin grammar. During a poetry lesson, Beowulf composes a heartfelt poem that combines what he has learned so far about chasing squirrels and poetry:

“Yum, yum. Squirrel!
No! No!
Yum, yum. Cake?
Yes! Yes!!"

The narrator has a personality of her own and sprinkles her own opinions throughout the story. Though the story is set in the nineteenth century, the narrator is clearly modern and makes comments on modern society, including a snide remark about hyperbole and stock market bubbles. She does not underestimate the reader’s intelligence and makes multiple references and jokes based on classic literature (there is a joke about eavesdropping and Hamlet) and Newtonian physics.

The ending leaves many questions unanswered and sets up the series to resolve those questions. Why were the children raised by wolves? Why is Penelope’s past so mysterious? Is there a connection between Penelope and the children? Why is Lord Frederick keeping the children when his wife clearly wants to dump them in an orphanage? Fans of Lemony Snicket, Roald Dahl, and Lois Lowry’s humorous novel The Willoughbys will enjoy The Mysterious Howling and will be impatient for the next installment of the series. Recommended for children and adults with an off-beat sense of humor.

Games and quizzes based on The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place can be found at http://www.awesomeadventurebooks.com/.

Reviewed by Margaret Ballard