If it weren't for Carla I wouldn't read young adult novels. I had just started at Powell's and I heard her talking about this amazing new kids' book,
Larry Potter and the Magical Stone or something. She would not stop talking about it! And she made it sound really good, so I decided I'd grab a copy and check it out. I can still remember where I was when I opened the book. At the end of the first page I had a feeling that I should mark the moment because Carla was right ? it was amazing.
The same thing happened with Eragon and The Thief Lord and His Majesty's Dragon ? Carla wouldn't stop talking about these books! I've learned: if Carla raves about a book, it is a great book.
The other day I asked Carla, "What's your favorite young adult novel right now?" She gave me four titles. The first is Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver. It was wonderful! It reminded me of Clan of the Cave Bear for kids. The spiritual aspects mixed with the adventure make it a great story. The next one, The Water Mirror by Kai Meyer was equally wonderful. It reminded me of The Thief Lord, but maybe just because of the Venice angle. The writing was great ? I think this is one to read aloud to the kids, and at 250 pages, not too much of a commitment!
Some of my favorite memories are of my mom reading to me. I think we've gotten away from reading aloud anything longer than a picture book to our kids. We leave the reading to the professionals, which is fine, but the wonder of two people sharing the experience of a book should not be lost.
I have not had a chance to read Carla's other two picks. The first one is called The Lightning Thief and the second is Mortal Engines. Both books are almost 400 pages long but Carla assures me that they read fast. I'm in third place on the book reading race; Adrienne and Lynn are both ahead of me, so I need fast reads. If I get behind in January, I'll never catch up!