The Angel’s Command by Brian Jacques; Philomel Books: New York, 2003; $23.99 I was excited yet worried throughout most of this book. When the La Petite Marie first set sail they were being followed by the Diablo Del Mar. I thought at first that the La Petite Marie was going to be caught, and then they might have been sunk. The little boy named Ben was a very smart person. Even though his body did not get older, he did. He was very wise and it was easy to see throughout the story. I always get told that I am very mature for my age. I tend to get along with older kids better than kids that are my age, so in a way I kind of act like Ben. I thought it was interesting when he thought of the idea for the La Petite Marie to sail into the rocks off course at nighttime to avoid getting captured by the Diablo Del Mar. When I went to a mountain training camp in September, we played Capture the Flag in the woods at night. It started to rain and it was hard to see. I found a little ditch that I could crawl in to get to the other team’s side without being noticed. It worked for a while but I was eventually captured. What Ben did reminded me of that. One of the most exciting parts of the story was when the La Petite Marie was attacked by the British privateer. I thought that the La Petite Marie would be sunk, but they managed to get away. The rear of the ship was blown away and a few men were killed. The captain, Ned, and Ben were still alive. This reminded me of when America invaded Iraq. Many men died, including Americans. My brother went to that war and now he’s safe at home. My favorite character in the story was the dog, Ned. He was a grown black Labrador that was very intelligent. I admired Ned because he watched over Ben and was very protective. Ned and Ben had a bond that was like two brothers. They had the ability to communicate with each other telepathically. My brother and I live with separate parents, but we still get along just like two brothers normally do. I think we get along just like Ben and Ned. Another one of my favorite characters was Thuron. He was the captain of the La Petite Marie. He was a kind captain who believed Ned and Ben were good luck. When he was in a bar, he was getting tricked by the captain of the Diablo Del Mar. When Ned and Ben walked in, Ben saw that the captain was being tricked so he put up all of his gold. Thuron won the bet, and that’s why he thought Ben and Ned were lucky. He even yelled at his crew members if they yelled at Ben or Ned. He reminded me of my science teacher because my science teacher is the nicest teacher I have, and he respects all of his students equally. Overall, I thought this was one of the most interesting books I have ever read. The characters were well thought-out and each had unique personalities, especially Ben and Ned. The characters remind me of people I know, so I was able to relate to them very well. I like how they have a brotherly bond which keeps them together. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading adventure stories. This story holds the reader’s attention all the way to the end. Alexander J. Gore, 13 Wheat Ridge, Colorado
Book-Reviews
The Blue Roan Child
The Blue Roan Child by Jamieson Findlay; Scholastic, Inc.: New York, 2oo4; $16.95 Imagine this: you are an orphan and you work in a horse stable owned by Kind Hulvere. A fierce wild horse and her two colts are brought to the stable. Then the two colts are stolen. It is now up to you, with the help of the wild horse, to save her colts from the powerful Lord Ran. Are you up to the challenge? Well, Syeira was! With nothing but the shirt on her back and the wild horse Arwin she set off to save the colts. Along the way, she and Arwin meet many friends, a few dangerous foes, and tons of adventure! When I first looked at this book, I knew I was going to enjoy it because it was about horses. I have been riding horses for about six years and I love horses and horse books. After the first few pages I was hooked, because The Blue Roan Child combined horses with mystery, magic, adventure, and wonderful writing. One of my favorite parts is when Syeira and Arwin have to travel through the Forest of Deire. In it they meet a man named Sir Gemynd who drinks a concoction made out of a plant called Pale Madeleine. The Pale Madeleine makes him live in memories. Syeira eats some of this memory plant and she sees her mother’s little yellow bird and hears her mother weeping. But she can’t find her mother, and the bird disappears. They are lost with the Pale Madeleine. They are lost in the past. That part made me think.. What would it be like to stop living in the present and live only in memories? If I was Syeira, would I be tempted to try some Pale Madeleine? Would Syeira ever be the same? I could understand why Syeira would want to eat the Pale Madeleine. She longed for the mother she could barely remember. That made me think about how lucky I am to have both of my parents alive today. I have never felt anything like Syeira’s yearning for her mother, and I am thankful. Even so, the Pale Madeleine was not good. It made Syeira sick and delayed her from her mission. To me, Pale Madeleine symbolizes temptation to do what’s wrong. Even though doing the wrong thing might seem fun or easy at the time, it will always come back to hurt you and will distract you from what you need to do. In this story you can see all sorts of symbols. For instance, I think the yellow bird is a symbol of Syeira’s mother’s love. It gives Syeira strength and courage. Flying horses also appear in this book. I think they are a symbol of Syeira’s dreams, and when they fly to attack King Ran’s city, Syeira’s dreams are flying along with them. The Weerlings, horses damaged by war, represent how horrible war really is. And Arwin. Arwin was Syeira’s way out of a lonely childhood. I think she is a symbol of the type of freedom one can only have galloping on a horse, flying as if you were riding one of Syeira’s dreams. The Blue Roan Child has a satisfying ending in which Syeira finds out what she is meant to do with her life. Everything adds up to a believable and involving story that will draw you in. I loved The Blue Roan Child, and I definitely recommend it to anyone who likes horses, adventure, or just plain good stories. Reina Gattuso, 12Milford, New Jersey
Beyond the Dance
Beyond the Dance, by Chan Hon Goh; Tundra Books: New York, 2002; $15.95 When I first saw the cover of Beyond the Dance, I thought it might be a book that was just about dance technique. But, as the saying goes, you can’t judge a book by its cover. As I started reading, I found that Chan Hon Goh was writing not just about her dance career, but also about her life growing up in Communist China where the government was very unsupportive of artists. I was sad to learn that Chan’s parents, who were both dancers, had to split up for a year while Chan’s father sought artistic freedom in Canada. From the moment I started reading, I was rooting for Chan and her family to be successful in their search for freedom. I have read several books before about totalitarian governments, but this book addressed a subject of great interest to me: how artists can be affected by politics. Living in America all my life, I appreciate even more, after reading this book, how fortunate I am to be able to write and dance without opposition from the government. I feel connected to Chan in several ways. We both love to dance, and take it very seriously. When she was eleven, Chan set high goals for herself as a dancer. I have always had a dream of being a principal dancer in Swan Lake or Giselle—two famous ballets that Chan has gone on to perform as an adult. There are things other than dance that Chan and I have in common. One is that we both moved when we were eleven (as I write this review, I am preparing to move). Chan’s move from China to Canada was extremely difficult because she spoke no English. My move from Connecticut to Manhattan will involve my getting used to living in an apartment instead of a house, going to a new school, making new friends, and adjusting to life in the big city. But while my move will be only around sixty miles, Chan’s move took her halfway around the world. Beyond the Dance offers great advice to everyone, not just to dancers. The author recommends that people who want to become better at what they do should create personal challenges, and try to believe in themselves. My favorite part of the book was when Chan, at seventeen, auditioned to get into The Prix, a dance school that only had a few openings. She had worked so hard, and made it to the semifinals, but assumed she had not been accepted, and left. Later that day, she went back to one of the judges to ask what she could do to become a better dancer. I admired that, even though she was disappointed, she wouldn’t let anything stop her. I won’t give away what happened, but I was happy and encouraged by the way things turned out for her. Chan’s life and career are fascinating, so I strongly suggest that you read Beyond the Dance. I admired the strong descriptions of both the good and difficult times Chan faced in her life, and how she dealt with each. I found myself relating to so many of her experiences, and was able to appreciate the advice given throughout the book about persevering for what you believe in at all costs. Beyond the Dance is a book that truly goes beyond just dancing. It is an autobiography that is great for anyone at any age. Karlen Schreiber, 11New York, New York
