City of a Thousand Dolls

In a fantasy world reminiscent of ancient China, Nisha is one of my girls abandoned and raised in the City of a Thousand Dolls.  All families are limited to two children, and boys are considered more valuable than girls.  The City was created as a place where the girls could be trained in various pursuits and professions.

Nisha is just one of these girls, but she is different from the others.  Rather than being trained with one of the Houses, Nisha has been raised as Matron's assistant, a position that allows her to train with the other houses while she helps Matron keep the City running efficiently.  She is also Matron's secret spy, always keeping her eyes and ears open.

It is this special role that allows her to be of use when tragedy strikes.  When one of the girls is found dead, no one is completely sure if it was an accident, suicide, or even murder.  Nisha begins her own subtle investigation with the help of her friends, a group of spotted cats who've taken up residence in the city.  No one knows her secret; she and the cats can talk to each other, and they are her closest friends.

When another girl is found dead, it is clear there is a murderer in the City, and Nisha is determined to find out the killer's identity.  As she continues her investigation, political machinations put the whole City at risk.  The power hungry tar'Vey family is stepping into position to control the city and get rid of Matron.  All of this comes at a time when the city is on the cusp of what could be it's greatest triumph or its greatest disaster.  One of Nisha's closest friends has been selected by the prince to be his bride, and the day of the marriage is fast approaching.  Any misstep could spell disaster for the City and for Nisha as she closes in on the killer.  But there are more secrets than Nisha knows in the City of a Thousand Dolls.  There are some secrets everyone knows but no one admits, and there are some secrets to terrible to fathom.

Miriam Forster's novel is thrilling experience!  A fantasy murder mystery with a side of talking cats and a dash of female empowerment--it's like it was written just for me!  I absolutely loved it!

Mountain Dog

When Tony's mother goes to prison for breeding and fighting pit bulls, he has nowhere to go.  Even though life with his mother was violent and scary, it was the only life he knew.

It's a surprise when his social worker tells him she's found a relative to be his foster parent, a great-uncle.  Tio lives in Sierra Nevada mountains and works as a ranger and rescuer with his dog Gabe.  Life with Tio and Gabe in the mountains couldn't be more different than life in inner city LA, but it doesn't take long before the knots in Tony's heart begin to loosen.

He loves the mountains, and he especially loves Gabe.  The chocolate lab is different from the angry and abused pit bulls Tony has always known, and Gabe seems to know how to heal Tony's broken spirit.

The best part of Tony's new life is learning how to help train rescue dogs and survive in the wilderness.  Tony loves being part of a team that can save people from almost certain death.

Life in the mountains may be the best thing that ever happened to Tony, but he still has the lingering fear that all this is temporary.  Tio's cabin is only his foster home.

I loved Margarita Engle's story of heartbreak and healing.  The verse novel is told in alternating chapters from Tony's and Gabe's points of view and is a story any animal lover will instinctively understand.  We may rescue our pets from shelters and bad environments, but in the end they are the ones who rescue us.  Highly recommended!

Stubby the War Dog

I was trying to get this review done yesterday in time for Veterans Day, but it didn't happen.  This was such a cute story!  I can't believe it hasn't been made into a movie yet.

This is the true story of Stubby, a stray dog who wandered onto the training grounds where doughboys (soldiers) were getting ready for deployment during WWI.  There he met Robert Conroy, and the two became fast friends.

Stubby went to Europe with Conroy and became a valued part of the unit by detecting poisonous gas, bombs, and injured men.  He also provided much needed companionship to lonely soldiers far from home.

Once the war was over, Stubby became a celebrity!  I am barely skimming the surface in this review because I don't want to give away all of Stubby's tricks.  Read Ann Bausum's new book, and you'll fall in love with Stubby, a real American hero.

Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures

This is an amazing that all begins with a vacuum cleaner, the Ulysses Super-Suction, Multi-Terrain 2000X to be exact.  When this high powered machine gets loose in the back yard, one unsuspecting squirrel will be changed forever.  That's right, one squirrel will be sucked into the rampaging vacuum and come out with super powers (but very little hair)!

Flora and Ulysses (named after the vacuum) quickly bond, and Flora must do everything in her power to save the super squirrel for arch enemies and evil cats!

But that's not all, their adventures will change Flora forever.  She'll meet new friends, make startling discoveries and maybe discover that she isn't such a hard-hearted cynic after all.

This book was great fun to read, and K. G. Campbell's illustrations and panels are wonderful!  Kate DiCamillo is also the author of Because of Winn-Dixie, and her fans won't be dissappointed.  This is a fun loving book with a heart of gold!

Gaby, Lost and Found

Gaby Ramirez Howard is struggling to get along without her mother.  It's been three month's since her mother, an illegal immigrant, was deported to Honduras.  Since that time Gaby has been struggling to get through each day hoping for the time her mother will return.  For now her dad has moved in, and he's supposed to be taking care of her, but she spends most of her time alone, and sometimes he even forgets to provide food for her.

When she and her classmates start volunteering at the Furry Friends animal shelter, Gaby is happy to find something to take her mind off her troubles.  Gaby begins writing profiles for the animals to get them get adopted.  She loves all the animals, but one cat in particular captures her heart.

Feather's owners abandoned their declawed cat at a rest stop.  By the time Feather gets to the shelter she is sick and malnourished.  Gaby instantly feels a connection to the Feather.  But will she go too far in her efforts to protect the cat, and will she be able to face the truth about her mother?  Read Angela Cervantes's new book to find out.  Animal lovers and anyone who's ever felt alone will identify with Gaby and her struggles.

Serendipity and Me

Sara loves cats.  She has cat posters, cat slippers, stuffed animal cats, everything  but an actual cat.  Her dad's answer is always no.

They are both struggling with grief over her mother's death when Sara gets the flu.  She is home feeling sick and alone when a kitten appears at their front door.  Sara just knows she can convince her dad to fall in love with this sweet little kitten named Serendipity, but her dad doesn't want to budge.

Sara and her dad feel separated from the world and each other by their grief, and Serendipity is warm and soft.  The kitten comforts Sara in a ways she hasn't felt for a long time.  It will rip her heart out all over again if she has to give Serendipity up.

In her quest to find a way to keep Serendipity, Sara discovers some truths about her parents' past and the reason her dad refuses to get a cat.  Maybe Serendipity can help both of them to begin to heal after all these years.

Judith L. Roth's new book is a bittersweet little verse novel about the debilitating and isolating power of grief and the love and companionship we can find with our pets.

Temple Grandin: How the Girl Who Loved Cows Embraced Autism and Changed the World

Temple Grandin was different from the start.  She didn't act like other babies, and her father was convinced she should be institutionalized, but her mother believed in her daughter.  This is the story of Temple's life.  All through school and even her adult life people have discounted her because of her autism.

When Temple was in high school, she discovered cows, and these animals saved her life.  She has devoted her life to making living conditions better for the animals we use as food.  And she uses the gifts of her autism to do it.

This is a wonderful story about a woman who embraced the parts of her life that others saw as challenges and used them to her advantage.  Sy Montgomery's new book is a great read for anyone who has autism or anyone who knows someone with autism. 

Here is Temple Grandin's TED talk about autism:

The Horse Road

This novel starts with a heart pounding horse race across the countryside!  Kallisto is determined to win this race for the honor of her family and her stables, but her horse, Gryphon, is just as eager to defeat his rivals.

Up until now, Kali has only worried about the horses, but that day she and her best friend, Batu, saw something that will change their lives completely.  From the top of a cliff, they see the invading Chinese army coming to take their beautiful Persian horses by force.

Kali will do anything to protect her family's herds, but Gryphon and her pure white mare, Swan, are the most important things in the world to her.

In her efforts to save Swan, Kali will face a leopard, a deceitful fiance, a tribal warlord, even the earth itself seems to struggle against her, and that's not to mention the Chinese army!

Will Kali be able to overcome her own fears and natural shyness to protect her beloved horse?  Read Troon Harrison's new book to find out!  Be sure to read the author's note at the end to find out how much of this story is based on real history.

This is a great choice for animal lovers who will understand Kali's bond with her horse, and while it is historical fiction, The Horse Road reads like an epic fantasy with plenty of adventure and action!

Tua and the Elephant

Tua's name means peanut because she was as small as a peanut when she was born.  The name still fits because she is a small girl with a big heart!

One day in the market in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Tua discovers an abused elephant help captive by her cruel masters.  Tua and the elephant have an immediate connection, and before she knows what she is doing, Tua is rescuing an elephant.  She decides to call the elephant Pohn-Pohn because it means double happiness.

But this is just the beginning of Tua's troubles.  Where do you hide an elephant?  How do you feed one?  And how can Tua keep Pohn-Pohn safe from her cruel masters who will try anything to get their property back?

Author R. P. Harris wrote Tua and the Elephant after a trip to Thailand where he visited an elephant sanctuary.  All animal lovers will enjoy this story of friendship and loyalty.

Watch the video below to meet Lek and her elephants, who inspired this book.

The Second Life of Abigail Walker

Abigail Walker is a shy overweight girl whose friends push her around and whose parents constantly harass her about her weight.  She lives her life hiding her true self from the world until the day she discovers the fox in an abandoned field.

The fox bites Abigail in a gentle and friendly way one afternoon, and suddenly Abigail sees the world in a new way.  She finds the courage to stand up to her friends when she finally realizes they are medium girls living medium lives.  Even when they turn against her, Abby stands her ground.

She also begins to explore her world beyond the boundaries of her neighborhood.  She meets a new friend whose father suffers from PTSD, and and Abby becomes involved in the effort to help him heal.  As she begins to make new friends, she gains self confidence and learns more about the person she wants to be.

The fox is also a recurring character as an ancient creature who has been part of many stories throughout time.

The more I thought about Frances O'Roark Dowell's new book, the more I liked it.  Even with the magical element of the fox, Abby's story feels real and true.

Animals Welcome

Peg Kehret is one of the most popular authors in our library with books like Runaway Twin and The Ghost's Grave.  Now she has written a memoir about her life rescuing animals.

Each chapter details Kehret's experiences with different animals including wildlife, and her sincere love of animals shines on every page.  A large portion of the book focuses on cat rescue.  Caring for cats is easier for Kehret because her body is weakened by childhood polio.  Each animal's personality comes shining through as the author details its rescue story.

Fans of Peg Kehret's mystery novels and animal lovers alike will enjoy this memoir about the many ways she and the animals in her life have rescued each other.

Here is a video of Peg Kehret talking about one of her most popular books, Stolen Children.  It is filmed in the home she describes in Animals Welcome, and you can hear her dog, Lucy, barking at the beginning. :)

The One and Only Ivan

Ivan is a gorilla who lives at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall.  His life isn't so bad.  He has his friends Stella the elephant and Bob the dog to talk to, and he has his art.  Ivan loves to draw with the crayons and paper his friend Julia passes through the hole in the glass of Ivan's cage.

One day a new baby elephant named Ruby arrives, and Ivan begins to see his world through her eyes.  All the things that seemed not so bad for 27 years suddenly seem broken and sad.  But Ruby does more than help Ivan see his the darkness of his life at the Exit 8 Mall, she also helps him remember his life before when he lived in the jungle with his family.

Now Ivan knows he has to help Ruby.  He can't let her grow up to be sad and broken.

Go to author, Katherine Applegate's, website to find out more about her and the real Ivan who inspired the story!

I love this book!  It broke my heart and put it back together again.  I hope you will read this book and think about who you are and how you fit into this world.

Chomp

Money is tight for Wahoo and his father, Mickey Crane, but the animal wranglers have just landed a job worth a lot of cash working on the Everglades episode of Expedition Survival.   But the show's star, Derrick Badger, isn't the great survivalist he appears to be on TV.  He knows nothing about animals and outdoor survival, and he doesn't even camp out when he is supposed to be fighting for his life in the wild outdoors.

Right off the bat, Derrick is nearly drowned by an alligator, bitten by a snapping turtle, and squeezed by a python.  Just when Wahoo and Mickey think they will be rid of the temperamental star, he makes them a new offer to go with him into the real wild of the Everglades.  On the way, they pick up a girl named Tuna who is running from her abusive father.

Now Mickey, Wahoo, and Tuna will have to survive wild animals, raging weather, an irresponsible star, and Tuna's violent and drunken father.  Things will definitely get worse before they get better, especially when Derrick's trademark of eating creepy crawlies to survive rears it's ugly head!

Carl Hiaasen's latest book is an outdoor survival adventure with all the character and danger of the Florida Everglades plus Hiaasen's style, charm and humor.  It's a must read for adventure and animal fans, and it's perfect for all Campbell Gators.  Just make sure you don't get chomped!

A Dog's Purpose

A Dog's Purpose is W. Bruce Cameron's journey inside the mind of a dog as it tries to discover it's purpose.

Life starts for Toby as a feral dog.  He is inquisitive and finds fleeting affection, but death is not the end for this dog.  Each time he comes to the end of life, he awakens as a puppy with a new life and a new name.  As he travels through each life, he uses the lessons he has learned to help the people around him as he tries to discover his purpose for existence.

A Dog's Purpose is at times funny, sad, and touching.  Every animal lover should read it, but it is especially for dog lovers.  As a cat person, I enjoyed the book, and I loved the dog's observations about cats.  He generally thinks they have "no discernible purpose."

This book is a wonderful view of love from a dog's eyes.  The complexities of human life and relationships get boiled down to play, love, comfort, and eat.  Anyone who has ever loved an animal will understand and appreciate this dog's single-minded devotion to his master's comfort and happiness.

Belly Up

Teddy Fitzroy spent his childhood in Africa with his mother, the gorilla expert, and his father, the wildlife photographer.  It was a life filled with adventure and animals, but now his parents have decided that he might need something a little more stable for teen years.

That's where FunJungle comes in.  FunJungle is the most amazing zoo in America with the best animal habitats and some of the best zoologists and zookeepers in the world.  It's not Africa, but Teddy does enjoy his days of freedom in zoological theme park.

Then, disaster strikes.  Henry the Hippo dies unexpectedly, and Teddy is suspicious.  Maybe someone took out Henry on purpose; maybe it was murder.

At first no one believes Teddy, so he investigates on his own, but this leaves him in some disgusting and dangerous situations.  By the time his mother starts to believe him, he is in danger of becoming the hippo killer's next victim!

This was a great mystery with humor and plenty of plot twists.  I also liked the relationship Teddy has with his parents.  It's great to see a kid in a YA book who has reliable, trustworthy, and trusting parents!

Click here to link to the author's website.

2012-2013 Lone Star List