Book Review: Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

Book Scavenger is a middle grade novel by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman. For twelve-year-old Emily, the best thing about moving to San Francisco is that it’s the home city of her literary idol: Garrison Griswold, book publisher and creator of the online sensation Book Scavenger (a game where books are hidden in cities all over the country and clues to find them are revealed through puzzles). Upon her arrival, however, Emily learns that Griswold has been attacked and is now in a coma, and no one knows anything about the epic new game he had been poised to launch. Then Emily and her new friend James discover an odd book, which they come to believe is from Griswold himself, and might contain the only copy of his mysterious new game.Emily and James rush from clue to clue, desperate to figure out the secret at the heart of Griswold’s new game before those who attacked Griswold come after them too. 

Book Scavenger is a book that combines the coming of age theme of changing schools and moving with a mystery and code breaking skills. Emily and her family moves around regularly, and at 12, Emily is starting to wish she could lay down roots and stay in one place for awhile. Meanwhile, her idol has been attacked and his next big game has been accidentally launched early, and Emily is working hard with her new friend James and her older brother Matthew to solve the clues and find the prize before the people searching for the original clue and final prize catch up to them and take what they want. The story covers a lot of ground and has something for every type of reader. There is a mystery to solve, codes to break, history to learn, and some great kids trying to find their place in the world. Each of the main players is multi dimensional and believable. I just wish I had the time to take part in a game like Book Scavenger, if only it really existed. 

Book Scavenger is a great middle grade novel for a variety of readers. It is fast paced and will appeal to mystery lovers, history buffs, and those that love a good character driven story.

Great Books Set in Connecticut; Novels and Non-Fiction in the Nutmeg State

It is always fun to read a book and recognize the landmarks and locations discussed on the pages. Even if the exact locations are not ones I pass by everyday, or even actually exist, often the feel of the state is still strongly felt. This might not be the case for larger states, but we Connecticut residents can often recognize the inspiration of our state in writing. Here are some books that make me smile because of the familiar settings in Connecticut.

In Pursuit of the Common Good: Twenty-Five Years of Repairing the World, One Bottle of Salad Dressing at a Time by A. E. Hotchner and Paul Newman is a perfect non-management book. The late Paul Newman is a hometown hero for most Connecticut residents. He used his fame and wealth to do as much good as he could. This book gives readers a glimpse into his compassion and style as well the partnership that built Newman's Own, an all natural food company. The book is a fun, playful read that informs and inspires.

The Sleeping Father by Matthew Sharpe is full of acidic humor and tragedy. Sharpe tells the story of a family trying to deal with betrayal and the father's stroke, which was pharmacologically induced. There is fear induced humor and satire in this character driven novel which keeps the sadness and humor of the story perfectly balanced. The story is set in a fictional town in Connecticut.

Summer Light by Luanne Rice illustrates the bonds of family you might expect to be shattered and the joy of finding the person you are meant to be with forever. The story is complete with struggles, tragedy and triumph not just a love story that follow the expected path. Set in a Connecticut shoreline town the book makes a great summer or beach read and captures the atmosphere of New London County perfectly.

The Barbarians Are Coming was the first novel by David Wong Louie. We see the details of family dynamics for a Chinese-American family in Connecticut, particularly the son's struggle to be American and ignore most of his heritage. Instead, he buries himself in his chosen career, denying what connections that could be made through cooking. This is a deeply affecting novel about fathers and sons, and the struggle to be true to yourself and your family or culture.

Tara Road by Maeve Binchy is an unexpected treasure. A story of two women that connect over the phone at just the right moment in their turmoil filled lives leads to the unique opportunity to trade homes for the summer, one in Connecticut and on in Dublin. We see the reality of life, relationships and hope. This is an original and well-crafted tale that entertains and moves the reader.

We'll Meet Again by Mary Higgins Clark is a murder mystery as well as a drama about best friends. One is convicted of murdering her husband and the other is a true crime reporter. A Connecticut socialite is the main character. She is released on parole and spends her free time trying to solve her husband's murder while readjusting to life.

I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb is not a light read, not fun or fluffy like most of my favorite and most recommended reads. It is a multi-generational story that is heartbreaking. It is full of family secrets and mental illness and the struggles that come from them. Locations from upstate Connecticut are as much a character of the book as any of the family members.

Explore these fantastic reads and get a little feel for the state of Connecticut, or if you are a fellow resident enjoy the feel of home. Nothing is better than reading a great book, except one that makes you feel at home in its settings.

Five Roman and Greek Mythology Resources

Myths, legends and fairy tales are immensely fascinating to me. Especially the way certain tales echo each other when the original storytellers had no way of communicating with each other across distance, language barriers and time. Greek and Roman mythology is one segment of the larger whole that I have found phenomenal resources to help me explore deeper. Here are my personal favorite books that teach and entertain in that realm of mythology. I did not include individual stories, such as the Iliad or the Odyssey, only collections and reference materials.

Mythology by Edith Hamilton is a collection and review of Greek and Roman myths, with a few Norse myths thrown in for good measure. Hamilton tells the main stories and describes the characters as well.  She gives commentary on the stories and shares how different versions of the characters and stories compare. I currently own two copies of this book, which I have read and reread several times over the years. She also wrote The Greek Way and The Roman Way for more detailed understanding of each culture.

Bulfinch's Greek and Roman Mythology from Thomas Bulfinch is another fantastic resource for myth information. This book is full of vivid retellings of myths from the Roman; Greek and Norse cultures. The myths are enjoyable and easy reads, while the index of names makes looking up references to the characters made in other works a simple process. I find this book to be another invaluable addition to my personal library.

The Dictionary of Classical Mythology by John Edward Zimmerman has entries about the Greek and Roman myths that are clear and concise. The names have pronunciation guides and where they are mentioned, cross-references with related entries and information on authors. This book does a great job of balancing the needs of novices and fans in the field. 

The Greek Myths: Complete Edition from Robert Graves offers readers exactly what the title proclaims. Myths are told with commentary and supported heavily with illustrations. The myth retellings are wonderful; however, I often disagreed with his interpretations of individual myths, which is gratifying in its own way. I have yet to find a more extensive collection of Greek myths than that in this book. 

The Encyclopedia of Classic Mythology: The Ancient Greek, Roman, Celtic and Norse Legends from Arthur Cotterell is a comprehensive and useful reference source. You can read the book straight through and enjoy the stories or look up names and myths that interest you and learn more about their stories. It is a great addition to the personal library of anyone interested in learning more about mythology.

Three Series of Books Full of Allusions And Are Great, Fun Reads

I get a kick out of reading a book, watching a movie or television show, or reading an article when I get to use my mind more than expected. Literary or pop culture references that make me stop and smile or think really can increase my enjoyment of something if it is done correctly. Here are some books that use references to myths and literature in ways that made me enjoy the book even more. 

Here, There Be Dragons by James A. Owen is the first book in the Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica series. These series is full to the brim of references to authors, literature and myths. The main characters are three men from attached to Oxford University. The murder of an Oxford professor and the interference of a very strange man named Bert bind the three together and set them onto a path of adventure of mythic proportions. I do not want to tell you who the three main characters are, but I will say that they are all well known authors of their day, and it isn't said exactly who they are until near the end of the book, so I don't want to spoil it for you if you haven't already guessed. Through out this series there are allusions to Greek Mythology, Arthurian legends, Narnia, Oz and Pythia.

Michael Buckley has gifted us with The Sisters Grimm series of books, which begins with Fairy Tale Detectives. This book is marketed to children, but I honestly think anyone interested in the evolution of fairy tales will enjoy this series, I know that I do. In this series, we see two young girls who have bounced around in the foster care system since their parents disappeared. A grandmother the girls did not know still lived claims custody of the girls, and then their adventures really begin. Grandmother Grimm just happens to live in Ferryport, a town for fairy tale characters whether they are willing or not. The variety and depth to the fairy tale characters is fantastic, and worth the read. We see Prince Charming, the Big Bad Wolf, Snow White, and Peter Pan all trying to survive in today's world. The series is also honestly funny for children and adults without resorting to childish humor, it is witty and clever.

Another series heavy with literary references is Cornelia Funke's Inkheart and the two books that follow. Even though some of the allusions self referential to this series, much like in William Goldman's The Princess Bride, there are also allusions to actual books and legends. We see a major player come into the story line from Arabian Nights and references to several mythological creatures throughout the series. Even though the amount of references to known literary works is less in this series than in the ones I mentioned previously, it has the same feel to it.

There are of course several other workers that touch on mythology or commonly known literature to deepen their own plot and enrich their own stories. I think these authors did more than that, they expanded on the original works rather than simply borrowing from them.