I was planning to take a break from this blog until January, but I just can't seem to do it. Maybe it's that I can't bring myself to stop reading, even for a week. Who knows, but here I am with a review of the book I just finished - Donna Jo Napoli's wonderful young adult novel, The King of Mulberry Street.

The year is 1892, and 9-year-old Dom Napoli is sleeping in a barrel on the mean streets of New York. It's not the life he imagined for himself when he stowed away on a cargo ship bound for America. Now, his homeland of Naples, Italy, is far away and he has nothing except the clothes on his back and the brand new shoes his mother gave him before secreting him on the ship. Although he knows no English, Dom knows he must do what his mother advised: he must simply survive.

But survival on the streets is no easy feat. The filthy alleys teem with homeless children willing to commit any crime to satisfy their cruel padrones. Dom knows enough to stay away from these evil overlords, but he still has to live. Other street kids advise him to steal what he needs, but Dom can't bring himself to do it. After all, what would his Nonna think if he surrendered all the principles she strove so hard to teach him? Maybe he has to hide his Jewish roots to survive, but he will not abandon them altogether.

So, Dom does what his Jewish ancestors have always done - he pulls himself up by his bootstraps (so to speak) and gets to work. First, he hunts for a job to earn money for passage back to Italy. His search leads him to Chatham Street, where he hopes to find work in a factory. When he realizes that Italian workers make less money than anyone but the Chinese, he knows a factory job will never work; he will have to use his own ingenuity to make enough money to get home. While visiting his friend Tin Pan Alley, a beggar on Wall Street, Dom hits upon a brilliant plan. He decides to buy a long sandwich in Five Points for .25, cut it into smaller pieces and sell the portions for a quarter each on Wall Street. With the help of Tin Pan Alley (the only one who speaks enough English to hawk the food) and Gaetano (Dom's friend, also from Naples), he starts his own business. The sandwich plan works like a dream, earning Dom and his friends more money than they ever dreamed possible. Their newfound wealth brings trouble as well as prosperity - suddenly, bigger boys are stalking them, eager for the coins in their pockets; Tin Pan Alley's padrone is getting suspicious; and other kids are moving in on their turf. Still, Dom is determined not only to survive, but to spread his fortune to the other street children. His generosity - or stupidity, in Gaetano's mind - earns him the nickname "The King of Mulberry Street."

Dom soon realizes, however, that even a king can't right every wrong he sees. His determination to topple the patroni system leads him to a situation that will change his life forever. Learning the truth about his mother will also force him to face truths he'd rather not see. Will these horrors cripple the boy? Will he succomb to the gritty streets and their evil padrones? And, most important, will Dom survive to return to his beloved Italy?

I enjoyed this story about the resilient Dom, who fights to stay alive without letting his humanity die. He's a boy with whom all readers can identify, and one whom all will cheer on as he battles for survival. His story moves along swiftly, with well-developed characters and vivid settings. Although Napoli hints at the darker elements of street life (i.e. prostitution and drug addiction), the references are subtle. The only truly devastating scene in the book is when Dom confronts Tin Pan Alley's padrone. Despite these dark matters, the tone of the novel is definitely hopeful. It really celebrates triumph over trial and remaining true to yourself even in the most dire situations. You'll love this story of Dom, The King of Mulberry Street.

Grade: A

I wasn't planning to post here until after the New Year, but I wanted to pop my head in and show you the fun bookish gifts I got for Christmas and my birthday (the 22nd). My MIL got me Bookopoly, which looks like a lot of fun. She also got me Big Susan by Elizabeth Orton Jones and the hilarious red lady on the far left, whose skirt holds one of my favorite quotations: "She is too fond of books, and it has addled her brain." I believe it's by Louisa May Alcott, who penned one of my favorite books, Little Women. I received Strangling Your Husband is Not an Option by Merrillee Browne Boyack - you'll never guess from whom it came :) My mom gave me the fun cookbook, and my SIL gifted me with Barbara Taylor Bradford's Living Romantically Every Day, which looks fun. I also got book money that I'm very much looking forward to spending! Thanks, everybody, you sure know how to spoil a bookworm.

Whew! I finished the Fall Into Reading challenge, reading all six books on my list. They were:

The Giver by Lois Lowry
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman
Uglies by Scott Westerfield
Sarah's Quilt by Nancy E. Turner
Woman in Red by Eileen Goudge

The only book I really did not enjoy was Woman in Red. It was poorly written, poorly edited and poorly constructed. I wasn't really wowed by The Zookeeper's Wife either, but at least it was a well-written account. The Giver, The Lightning Thief and Sarah's Quilt were my favorites.

Thanks for hosting, Katrina. It was fun!

Against my better judgment, I signed up for two more challenges:

You can get more information about the challenges and see my lists on my challenge blog, Up For A Challenge.

I think I'm officially insane. I just typed up a list of all the books I'm reading for challenges in 2008 and the remainder of 2007. My list has 128 titles on it! Maybe a dozen are alternates, but still...I'm going to be busy.

So, my New Year's reading resolutions are: 1.) Finish all the challenges I've signed up for, and 2.) Host one of my own (probably toward the end of the year).

Wish me luck!

Percy Jackson, star of Rick Riordan's The Lightning Thief, has had a tough life. First, his father abandoned him and his mother when he was just a baby. Then, his mother married Gabe Ugliano, whose surname just about says it all.

At least, his mother dotes on him. Still, Percy just can't seem to stay out of trouble; He's been kicked out of six schools in as many years. Now, he's at Yancy Academy, which would actually be enjoyable if it weren't for two things: dyslexia, and the fact that nothing seems to go right when he's around

Now, he's headed home for the summer and things seem to be going from bad to worse. He and his mom set out for Montauk, where a hurricane has them running for their lives. Only the hurricane isn't really the problem - it's the minotaur that's got Percy terrified. Yep, you read that right - a minotaur, as in the bull-man monster from Greek myths. I know they're not supposed to exist, but in Percy's world they do, because (as he soon discovers) he is a half-blood, as in half-god, half-mortal.

After narrowly escaping the minotaur's grasp, Percy finds himself at Camp Half-Blood. Here, he finally learns the truth about his parentage (some truth anyway), his dyslexia (his brain is pre-wired for ancient Greek, not English), and the reason bad luck always seems to be only a step behind him (monsters have been following him, of course). Still, this is the worst bad luck he's had. Explanation? Easy. Hades (God of the Underworld) and Zeus believe that Percy has stolen two magical objects - Zeus' lightning bolt and Hades' war helmet. The thefts have the gods threatening war, a prospect that would not be good for anyone.

The only solution seems to be for Percy to take up a quest to find the true thief, recover the stolen items, and return them to their rightful owners. Despite the oracle's warnings, he selects two companions and embarks on the quest. What ensues is a harrowing trip across the U.S., which will take the trio to the River Styx and beyond. On their way, they encounter a group of monsters that seem to have stepped right out of a textbook on Greek mythology. When all is said and done, the thief is not who they thought it was, but someone much, much closer. In fact, it's someone Percy would call a friend.

The Lightning Thief offers a wonderful romp through a fantastical world of larger-than-life characters, from the powerful Zeus to a modern-day Medusa. The plot twists and turns, cleverly using mythological elements to keep the story racing along. Probably the most engaging thing about this book is Percy, our bumbling, misunderstood hero. He's likeable, human (well, kind of) and completely sympathetic. His voice is so authentic you almost believe his story is real. Although the story's a little predictable (you will spot the camp traitor a mile away), it's an irresistibly fun read. I'm heading right out to find the sequel.

Grade: A

After reading and loving The Amulet of Samarkand, I worried that the second book in Jonathan Stroud's The Bartimaeus Trilogy might not live up to the first. I shouldn't have worried.

The Golem's Eye picks up two years and eight months after the first book left off. Our hero - er, young magician, Nathaniel - is now working for Internal Affairs, strutting around London enjoying his new-found importance. His cozy little world is shattered, however, when an unknown menace begins wreaking havoc in the city. The government assumes it's another hit from the Resistance, and assigns the problem to Nathaniel. Eager to solve the crimes (thus gaining the notoriety he craves), the young magician summons his most powerful servant, the colorful Bartimaeus. Predictably, the djinn is not happy to see his former master, especially since "The boy had changed somewhat since I'd last seen him, and not for the better ... he was harder, harsher, and altogether more brittle" (167). Still, he's bound to young Nathaniel, and must obey his orders. Thus, he finds himself in the destructive path of an ancient enemy, who appears to be controlled by a magician. In order to return to his own world, Bartimaeus must help Nathaniel find the Golem's master.

This old pairing might have gotten a little dull (even though I adore Bartimaeus as a narrator), but Stroud introduces an exciting new element in the form of Kitty Jones. The teenager belongs to a group of Resistance workers, all of whom possess some form of resilliency to magic. This ability puts her in the perfect position to undermine the magicians who rule London. However, the group's activities prove ineffective, causing Kitty increasing discontent. When an informant tells the group how to break into the treasure-filled tomb of a famous magician, she can hardly contain her excitement. The dangerous mission doesn't exactly go as planned, and Kitty soon finds herself hunted by the government and one John Mandrake (a.k.a. Nathaniel).

Kitty proves slippery, but when Nathaniel dangles a friend's life in her face, she has no choice but to cooperate. Before the magician has a chance to extract information from Kitty, the two - along with Bartimaeus and Kitty's friend - find themselves face-to-face with not one, but two monstrosities from the Other World. Can the group save London from its twin terrors? Can they escape with their own lives? And, perhaps most importantly, will Nathaniel survive when everyone who knows him wants him dead?

I thoroughly enjoyed this second installment in Stroud's trilogy. Bartimaeus shone as usual, but he definitely had to share his spotlight with the brave Kitty Jones. She's as compelling as Bartimaeus, although her voice is more somber. Still, it's hard not to feel for her as she courageously takes on the magicians who routinely trample commoners like her under their shiny boots. I enjoyed these two characters immensely, but I really couldn't stand Nathaniel. He's an arrogant brat whose morals take a backseat to his ambition. Honestly, I found him almost insufferable in this book. Hopefully, he'll prove himself in the next volume.

For anyone who loves tales of magic and mystery, this trilogy is not to be missed.

Grade: A-

While I sipped my hot chocolate this morning, I read an editorial about the decline of reading in the U.S. The reporter, one Kevin Horrigan, was pondering the irony of Amazon.com selling out of Kindles in the same week the National Endowment for the Arts reported that the U.S. is experiencing a reading crisis. According to the NEA, which got its info from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, "the average American, age 15 and up, spends three hours and six minutes every weekend watching television and only 26 minutes reading." In addition, the NEA cites a 2002 survey which said that 43% of Americans hadn't read a single book for pleasure in 2001. Seriously? That's appalling.

Considering all this, I thought I should do my part to support booksellers and encourage reading in my home. It was all out of duty, I promise. So, I hit Borders, where I bought the following:

Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky
Rhett Butler's People by Donald McCaig - I love Gone With the Wind and am excited to read this "official" sequel (prequel?) to Margaret Mitchell's classic
The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen by Syrie James - I'm planning a Jane Austen binge for the Triple 8 challenge, and thought this one would fit in nicely.

Then, because my sense of duty was so overwhelming, I forced myself to go to a big sale at the Scholastic warehouse in Phoenix. Obviously, I took the obligation seriously, because I couldn't stop myself from purchasing these goodies (all at 30-60% off - yipee!):

Magyk by Angie Sage and Mark Zug - I've seen some great reviews of this YA book
Black Duck by Janet Taylor Lisle - This YA mystery/adventure caught my attention
The Secret School by Avi - I'm excited to read this one for the Newbery Award Project
The Mercy of Thin Air by Ronlyn Domingue - This is the story of a woman hovering between Earth and whatever comes after death - sounds interesting
Coraline by Neil Gaiman - It's Neil Gaiman - what more do I have to say?
The Princess Academy by Shannon Hale - I've read great reviews of this one
Monday with A Mad Genius - This one is for my daughter, who loves the Magic Treehouse Series
A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck - This book cracks me up, and it was only a dollar! What a steal.
Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson - I thought this historical novel about a young woman who works a homestead in Montana sounded intriguing
Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis - This one has gotten fabulous reviews. I can't wait to read it.
Diary of a Fly by Doreen Cronin - This one is for my son, who adores Diary of a Worm
The last book is a book about weather for my science-obsessed son.

Phew! I love stacks of books - they carry such promise. Plus, they give me something to write about when I haven't quite finished the book I've been reading for a week. I'm getting there...hopefully, a review of The Golem's Eye will be up tomorrow. Until then you can feast your eyes on my bargains :)

I read - okay, devour - book blogs for two reasons: to get reading recommendations and to