Book Review Revisited :: The Seer of Shadows by Avi

** This is part of a post I originally published on 30 June 2010. **

The Seer of Shadows

Written by Avi

Published by HarperCollins Children's Books

Copyright 2008

202 pages

"I stood there in great distress.  My head fairly seethed. ... The next moment my mind went to the words on the cemetery gate:  The Dead Shall Be Reborn. ... Tears ran down my face as I had to accept the extraordinary fact:  I, Horace Carpetine, had somehow brought Eleanora Von Macht back into the living world."

Publisher's Summary:  In New York City in 1872, fourteen-year-old Horace, a photographer's apprentice, becomes entangled in a plot to create fraudulent spirit photographs, but when Horace accidentally frees the real ghost of a dead girl bent on revenge, his life takes a frightening turn.

Mary Elizabeth's Musings:  One-third ghost story, one-third historical fiction, and one-third history of still photography, The Seer of Shadows is truly mesmerizing and page-turning.  Avi's amazing ability to capture a specific time and place in history is remarkable, as evidenced throughout this novel.  The reader will find him or herself as entangled in this story as the daring protagonist, Horace Carpetine, as he (Horace) races against time to stop a girl's spirit from inducing terrible destruction upon her family.  Get ready to read this novel from start-to-finish in one sitting!

This book is recommended for ages 9 - 12 years.

More page-turners and spine-tinglers I recommend by Avi:

**For the comments section:  What are your favorite ghost stories? **

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Wise Owl Wednesday #2 :: History of Censorship :: Part Two

Graphic credit :: Shabby Blogs

** Welcome to my new weekly feature, Wise Owl Wednesday, where you can butter up your brain with some children's literature facts - history, milestones, trivia ... stop by here to learn a little something about the amazing world of books for the young! **

www.ala.org/bbooks

In honor of Banned Books Week (Sept. 25 - Oct. 2, 2010), I thought I would share the history of literary censorship.  I hope you find it as interesting as I did!!

Milestones in the History of Censorship (Part Two):

1497 - Works of Ovid and Dante were burned in Florence.
1559 - The Sacred Congregation of the Roman Inquistion published the first Index of Forbidden Books, which were books thought to be dangerous to the morality of the Roman Catholic faith.  This publication was abandoned in 1996.
1624 - The Bible, translated by Martin Luther in 1534, was burned in Germany.
1660 - Charles II of England ordered that the Council for Foreign Plantations instruct natives, servants, and slaves of the British colonies in the precepts of Christianity by teaching them to read.  British slave owners, however, feared that literate slaves might find enlightening revolutionary ideas in books.
1683 - John Locke escaped from England to Holland because his theory of civil, religious, and philosophical liberty was considered too radical.

Source:  Through the Eyes of A Child: An Introduction to Children's Literature (5th Edition) by Donna E. Norton, copyright 1999 by Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Book Review #18 :: Trick or Treat, Calico!

Trick or Treat, Calico!

Written by Karma Wilson
Illustrated by Buket Erdogan

Published by Little Simon, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division

Copyright 2009

"It's that spooky time of year. 

Halloween is finally here!

There are trick-or-treaters everywhere. 

Look - a ghost is over there!"

Publisher's Summary:  It's Halloween night, and everyone is trick-or-treating! But where is Calico? Is she disguised as a ghost? No! Is she in a witch's costume? No! Young readers will love lifting the study flaps to find out where Calico is hiding.

Mary Elizabeth's Musings:  Babies and toddlers will be delighted again and again by finding Calico the cat in this sweet, lift-the-flap board book! Babies will adore listening to the words while searching for Calico under a variety of costumes.  Parents will enjoy sharing the rhythmic verse and engaging illustrations with their little ones.  Bright and colorful illustrations paired with Karma Wilson's rhyming prose makes this board book a must-have for any baby or toddler's home library!


To read more about maximizing reading time with your baby, check out my post on Developmental Milestones of Early Literacy :: Part One of Five.


Other books about Calico the cat:

Book Review #17 :: A Nest for Celeste by Henry Cole

A Nest for Celeste: A Story About Art, Inspiration, and the Meaning of Home

by Henry Cole

Published by Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

Copyright 2010

"Celeste's newest basket was going to be of a design she hadn't tried before, with a side pocket and a fold-over flap to keep things from spilling out.  Her nook was dim, but Celeste was used to it.  From her pile of dried grasses she pulled another long blade and, using her teeth and nimble fingers, began twisting and weaving."

Publisher's Summary:  Celeste is a mouse who is looking for a home.  Is it nestled in the toe of a warm boot? In the shirt pocket of Celeste's new friend Joseph, who is Audubon's apprentice? Or is home the place deep inside Celeste's heart, where friendships live?

Mary Elizabeth's Musings: 
Heartwarming.  Inspirational.  Happy.  Cozy.  Absolutely delightful.
This story about Celeste, a sweet and gentle mouse, will leave every reader with a feeling of comfort and contentment in his or her heart.
Set on a Louisiana plantation in 1821, A Nest for Celeste draws the reader into the unique, artistic, and natural world of John James Audubon and his apprentice, Joseph. 
Both looking for a true friend and a comforting home, Joseph and Celeste form a tender friendship that forges its way through changes and events in both of their lives.
Henry Cole's whimsical, gentle, charcoal illustrations provide the perfect companion to this heartwarming tale of home and friendship.

I recommend this book for ages 7-12 years.


Other books by this author:




Visit Henry Cole's inspiring website to be a part of his incredible world of illustrations!

It's Time for the Fall Catch-Up Read-A-Thon!!

Hooray!! I am so excited about the Fall Catch-Up Read-a-Thon over at The True Book Addict this week!!! I am hoping to catch up on A LOT of reading!!!!

My goals are to finish these 2 books:

And to read at least 20 fall / Halloween books with my children!!!

Check back often this week to see how I'm doing!!!