This Little Piggy Went To The City

Have you ever heard of a pig that could twirl on its snout? If not, it's time to meet Porkelia - the one and only! Porkelia is an especially talented pig with lofty aspirations of becoming a Rockette. She has the highest hoof kick in town and the sass to go with it. Plus it's preordained. After spicing up her wardrobe and practicing her signature moves, Porkelia sets off to the big city to pursue her dream.

Or so she tries. All it takes is a ramshackle apartment, a dismal job selling blenders, and tired hooves after late-night dancing gigs for Porkelia to realize just how unglamorous life is before you truly make it. As the years go by and loneliness sets in, this little piggy longs for her comfortable sty of warm mud and porcine companions.

And then the unthinkable happens. Porkelia becomes a Rockette! Fame, riches, gossip - the full scope of stardom. (Not that any of us doubted it for a second.) As she's making hoof-snout rotations in a gold lamé leotard and drinking tea with the Queen, will she remember her sty pals back home?

Porkelia, A Pig's Tale is a star in the making. With its charming storyline, rhyming couplets, and plump pink protagonist, Lindy Tucker's book is hard to resist. The pink and gold illustrations twinkle just as brightly as the star spot art on each page, reminding us never to give up on our biggest dreams.

Boarding School Blues

As a boarding school lass myself, I always enjoy reading books that take place in that tucked away, institutional setting. I am often frustrated, however, at how unrealistic it all is. As far as most unfamiliars are concerned, boarding school elicits mental snapshots of teenagers frolicking chaotically about in preppy attire - no parents, no rules, just freedom. I hate to shatter this fantasy, but boarding school was by far the most structured, stressful phase of my existence. Not at all like fiction paints it to be.

Freefall, the high-tension, thought-provoking debut from Dartmouth student Ariela Anhalt, is the first example I've found where students aren't protected from the outside world by the "school bubble". As this book decrees, actions have consequences and serious misdoings aren't necessarily shielded from the law. In a fencing team initiation gone wrong, a student ends up dead - smashed against the rocks after falling from a cliff. Hayden and Luke are the only two students present for the tragedy. In fact, Luke witnesses his best friend shoving Russell over the edge...no, scratch that. Luke isn't sure what he sees. But the event causes him to question everything, especially as the demons he tries to suppress bubble messily to the surface.

While I was reading this book (and quickly, I might add), I was continually struck by Anhalt's remarkable insight into the mentality of a teenage boy who is angry at the world and doesn't know why. As a reader, I experienced frustration towards Luke and the wrath he fails to control, a sure sign that Anhalt did the best job possible of portraying him. A commendable effort!

Super Sleuth Nancy Drew

Having a penchant for mystery novels, it is not surprising that these roots were planted by the infamous Nancy Drew series. As a little girl, I remember thinking Nancy Drew was the most clever "titian blonde" out there - and I wanted to be a private eye just like her, digging up clues and unmasking the bad guys. I found the mysteries ambitious to solve, which placed Nancy high in my esteem. After all, reading mystery novels is like playing Sudoku or tackling the New York Times crossword puzzle - the end result is much more satisfying when a real challenge has been surmounted.

One of my favorite whodunits is The Mystery At Lilac Inn, the fourth volume in Carolyn Keene's series. I devoured the story this Sunday - probably for the first time in over 10 years - while sunning outside, appropriate given that the setting is picturesque Lilac Inn perched on a flowing river and surrounded by quaint little cottages and lilac groves. The book begins with Nancy's visit to her dear friend Emily Willoughby, who is opening the historic inn with her fiancé. Emily's excitement, however, is tainted by her employees' fears that the inn is haunted. To make matters worse, her precious inheritance of beautiful, shimmering diamonds is stolen right out from under her nose at a dinner party. Nancy insists on getting to the bottom of this foul play, which is evidently linked to a serious concern of her own - someone is impersonating Nancy Drew and doing a fine job of it.

Full of adventure and high-risk moments, Nancy Drew's shrewd investigative skills are assayed like never before. Even as a 22-year-old revisiting my childhood sleuth, I found the mystery compelling and was delighted with the 1960's charm incorporated throughout. Nancy is right up there with my favorite, Hercule Poirot, and I can't help but laugh picturing them as associates - a short prying Belgian with a large mustache and a fresh-faced American girl of 18.

When In Rome

If you've got the travel itch, it's high time to join Dodsworth on some of his adventures. With escapades in hot spots New York City, Paris, and London, Dodsworth and the duck - certainly an unusual companion to jaunt around Europe with - take Italia by storm in Tim Egan's latest, Dodsworth in Rome.

As Dodsworth marvels over the Roman aesthetics, the duck indulges his taste buds - proving that Rome has something spectacular to offer everyone. It wouldn't be a true Roman Holiday without sightseeing on a vespa, licking gelato by the Trevi Fountain, and feasting the eyes on the Sistine Chapel (even if the duck has some minor critiques to offer Michelangelo). And the way that duck throws pizzas has one wondering if he's of Italian descent...

As with most grand adventures, trouble isn't too far behind. Egan keeps readers on their toes with surprises on every page, reminding us that travel abroad is a mixed bag of splendid experiences and unforeseen setbacks. The way Egan depicts his characters in both words and illustrations, you can tell he is quite fond of conscientious Dodsworth and the mischievous duck. After reading Dodsworth in Rome, I am too.

Incorrigible...And Proud Of It!

This book should come with a warning. The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Mysterious Howling claims it's for children ages 8-12. What it should say is, "intended for children ages 8-12 but equally as captivating for readers older by, say, 10 years."  

Maryrose Wood resurrects Dickensian England as the setting for her story starring Miss Penelope Lumley, a 15-year-old graduate from the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females who sets out into the secluded countryside to begin her new position as governess for the children of Ashton Place. With dreams of teaching Latin and geography, it is much to Miss Lumley's surprise to discover three unkempt, tangle-haired children in the stables, howling like wolves and rolling about in the hay. It will take all of her knowledge, resourcefulness, and patience to domesticate the three Incorrigibles, especially in time for Lady Constance's extravagant, all-frills Christmas Party. Will Alexander, Beowulf, and Cassiopeia learn to stop chasing squirrels and start declining verbs?  

If you enjoy Jane Eyre, The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, and other such charming stories about governesses in the remote English countryside, The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place is right up your alley. The lovable wolf-children, fast-paced adventures in governessing, and sharp, smart-as-a-whip narration à la Lemony Snickett will bind you to your seat, eyes wide and fingers flipping. 

I can't wait to read the sequel, The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Hidden Gallery!

Angelina Tumbelrina? Wait A Sec...

On this gorgeous afternoon in April, I was really craving a little Angelina Ballerina action. Finally - the sun is out, birds are chirping, and tulips are gracing us with their presence. My favorite bit is how colorful everything looks, such a welcome change from the flat, gray tones that unfortunately accompany New England winters. This is exactly how it feels reading the Angelina Ballerina series (written by Katharine Holabird and illustrated by Helen Craig). The stories are lovely, the characters are charming, and the illustrations are detailed and bursting with color. It's a quintessential spring day in a book. Just as beautiful and light as can be.

If you can't already tell, Angelina is an avid dancer. She is delicate, graceful, and always seems to be twirling from place to place. Just as adorable as Angelina is her sweet friend Alice, whom we meet for the first time in Angelina and Alice. Angelina and Alice enjoy the same pursuits - dancing and gymnastics - and become fast friends in the schoolyard. These two mice get along famously as they hang from trapeze bars and swing sky-high in the air. When it comes to handstands, however, things get a bit, well, shaky. Alice's is perfect and "Angelina Ballerina" becomes "Angelina Tumbelrina". So not fair.

How Angelina and Alice regain their friendship is a truly special part of the story, culminating in a spectacle of a happy ending. It's amazing what can be achieved with a little bit of teamwork and a lot of heart. You won't know what to love more - the precious story or the enchanting illustrations. They are simply made for each other and I can't imagine one piece without the other - the mark of an outstanding children's book.

Do You Believe In Magic?

This week, I finally got around to reading the enchanting tale The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo. Having completely adored The Tale of Despereaux, I was very much looking forward to her newest book.

The Magician's Elephant is a story of wonder, hope, and believing in the impossible. When orphan Peter Augustus Duchene espies a fortuneteller's tent in the middle of the Baltese market square, he has little idea that life as he knows it will change forever. To find his long-lost sister, the fortuneteller says, Peter must track down the missing piece of the puzzle, a great elephant. Dejected, the little boy walks home. After all, an elephant in the city is like water in the desert - a wonderful thought, but not going to happen.

By some lucky stroke of fate, an act of sheer impossibility occurs that night, undermining all rational thought and confirming Peter's wildest hope. A magician performs his greatest trick yet, conjuring an elephant who comes crashing through the theater ceiling to the audience's dismay. Suddenly, Peter knows the truth. His sister, believed to be dead, is alive. From that moment on, a sequence of events occur in a dreamlike guise - so simple, yet so deftly interconnected. DiCamillo writes a beautiful story with an extraordinary ending, illustrating how life is comprised of tiny moments and magic happens when these moments sync together in perfect harmony.

That being said, DiCamillo has a way of making her characters speak in riddles through repetition and vague statements. I don't believe this to be an accidental move on her part. The story is remarkable as most dreams are remarkable and the dialogue lends itself decidedly to the hazy landscape of a dream rather than reality. Both the dialogue and narration, fairly poetic in tone, create the impression that the characters all have parts to play and are waiting for the pieces to fall together, certainly adding to its overall magic.