Cook School.

Cook School, by Amanda Grant

Jonathan loves to help in the kitchen. At three, there are a few things he's learning to do, such as how to use measuring cups, how to stir without spilling, and how to mash things. Sometimes though, I'm at a loss as to how he can help. This book is wonderful for not only teaching him techniques, but also for giving me guidance on what's age appropriate to teach.

Cook school is sorted into three stages. Stage 1 is for ages 3 to 5, Stage 2 is for ages 5 to 7, and Stage 3 is for ages 7 to 11. (I love that this will be useful for years to come!) Each recipe lists the skills that it teaches, tools needed, and, of course, ingredients and directions. This book is clearly made for children to work with – the font is clear and easy to read, the instructions are simple and short, and VERY few instructions in any of the recipes call for adult intervention. (Of course adults should always supervise, especially with younger kids.)

Jonathan's favorite recipe so far is the berry crunch, mainly because he gets to mash strawberries with a potato masher. :) He's also looking forward to making fizzy strawberry crush, a strawberry orange fizzy drink, for the same reason. Overall, I can't wait to delve deeper into this book with him and see what he creates!

The Books of Pellinor Series.

 The Books of Pellinor are an epic tale of a girl named Maerad (pronounced MY-rad) who discovers that she is expected to save the world she's only recently come to know as her own. It takes place over the course of a year and a halfs time, during which she goes from being an orphaned slave to a free woman who makes family and friends out of those she meets along her way. She also discovers more enemies than she's known could exist.

Maerad is rescued from slavery by Cadvan, a man who she later learns is a well-known bard. In this world, bards have abilities that are intended for use in service to those they live amongst - abilities to heal, promote growth of crops and herds, and create works of art and song, not the least of these abilities. Most still continue in this service, but some have chosen to turn away from that, seeking instead power over all. The leader of these, most often known as The Nameless One, seeks to destroy and rule all in his path. Maerad and Cadvan soon discover that Maerad has been foretold as the one who is to defeat The Nameless One. As she struggles with this destiny, she overcomes seemingly insurmountable odds and grows into a discerning young woman.

These books are intended for a teen/young adult audience, but the level of writing makes them appealing for adults as well. The story is well crafted, engaging and unpredictable. The tale is reminiscent of the Wheel of Time series, though, in my humble opinion, of a better length. Each book is hefty, but with only four, there is an end in sight. :) Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a fantasy tale. With the exception of rather dark foes and desperate situations at times that dissuades this from being for a young (preteen or younger) audience, there is little within these stories that could cause offense. I highly recommend that you lose yourself in this series as soon as possible.

The Naming, by Allison Croggan

The Riddle, by Allison Croggan

The Crow, by Allison Croggan

The Singing, by Allison Croggan

Impossible.

Impossible, by Nancy Werlin

Call to mind the song, Scarborough Fair. The lyrics, apart from the beautiful melody, are a bit strange, aren't they?

Take this verse for example: (Thanks Wikipedia!)

Tell him (her) to make me a cambric shirt,

Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme,

Without a seam or needle work,

Then (s)he'll be a true love of mine.

A seemingly impossible task is set before the singer's love. That thought, and the reasons behind the song, were the inspiration for this book. Lucy, the seventeen year old whom the story follows, is forced to attempt the completion of all the tasks listed in the song, (in her family's version of it, the author took a few liberties to shorten and amend the better known versions out there) or become slave to the fae who cursed her family generations before.  

 This is not a gentle book. Lucy is emotionally tortured, her mother has been insane since Lucy's birth, and there is a rape. I was honestly shocked when I found out this was considered a teen book, well after I'd read it. I would personally call it adult fiction, and would not recommend it to the average teen. It is, however a very good book, in my opinion. Despite the overwhelming amount of frenzied darkness that is in this book, that Lucy is asked to face, there is also small but strong undercurrent of hope running throughout. It is as enchanting as it is haunting. Overall, this is a book I'm continually drawn back to read again.

City of Cannibals.

 

City of Cannibals, by Ricki Thompson

Ok, I admit, I picked this book up under false pretenses. I thought this book would be about a society that didn't exist, either yet, or ever, where cannibals had taken over against a small resistence. Nope, not even close. 

Dell is a sixteen year old girl living with her father, brother and aunt on a hillside beyond what she knows as the City of Cannibals. She's been warned never to venture too near or she may be kidnapped by the cannibals and eaten. However, the increasing brutality of her father and the kindnesses bestowed upon the family by a boy from the city give Dell the courage to escape her home and venture beyond with the hope of a better life on her own. She discovers a new kind of hope, and brutality, in the city that she comes to learn is London.

City of Cannibals gives you a personal view of the happenings of England in 1536, when King Henry VIII desired a divorce from his wife, Catherine, and the church would not grant it. He divorced her anyway, and began his way through many wives. Dell's point of view gives you the perspective of the aftermath to the churches in England, as King Henry chose to take over. This book is well written, beautiful, and, at first, very innocent, at least in Dell's perspective of the world.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone, but it's especially great for teens studying this time period, to get another, (although fictional) point of view on that tumultuous time in history. 

The Forgotten Beasts of Eld.

The Forgotten Beasts of Eld, by Patricia A. McKillip

This has been a favorite book of mine since I was a young teen. The story is about a sixteen year old girl named Sybel, a wizardess, with no family, who is suddenly given a child to raise. She and the child grow up together, until Sybel is a woman and her 'son', Tam, a young man. Then, those who brought her the child unexpectedly return and shatter their peace. Living amongst them are various fantastic creatures, cared for and loved by Sybel and Tam. Their beauty, wisdom, and value complicate and enrich the story further. 

There is beauty of language and relationships, deep hatred, and complexities of caring for others woven into the heart of this story. I would recommend this book to any who enjoy sci-fi/fantasy books, mild romance, and a rich story.