Fuzzy by Tom Angleberger and Paul Dellinger

Oct20

Vanguard One Middle School has a new student: Fuzzy, a state-of-the-art, highly intelligent robot with speech recognition language processing, facial recognition software, and fuzzy logic. Fuzzy is nearly human, but not quite. And Vanguard One Middle School is nearly under the complete control of other, more specifically tasked robots, in particular Vice-Principal Barbara who practically runs the entire school from her secret control center in Room 43.

Max, short for Maxine, is tired of Vice-Prinicpal Barbara and her constantly issued discipline tags (which are sent automatically and immediately to parents), but Max is also fascinated by the new student, Fuzzy, and the possibilities inherent in a robot student who re-programs himself in response to new data. While Vice-Principal Barbara is doing everything she can to execute the Constant UpGrade program (#CUG) and achieve the goal of a perfect school—ever higher test scores, ever fewer discipline problems, ever cheaper and more efficient to run—Max and Fuzzy are getting to know one another and become friends, as much as a human being can become friends with a fuzzy logic robot.

What a great story! While it lampoons the current educational culture of constant testing and computer idolization, the book also shows readers the possibilities and limitations of cutting-edge robotic technology. It just might be coming any day now to a school or workplace near you. Many years ago, Arthur C. Clark’s 2001: A Space Odyssey asked the question, “with artificially intelligent computers (or robots), will we continue to control the technology, or will the technology take over and control us?” This story is a variation on that theme, with humor, for middle grade readers. It’s not deep or prophetic or philosophical, but it does introduce the thought that technology may be both a blessing and a curse.

And it’s just a fun story. Enjoy the story. Then, if you want, spend some time thinking about the questions: What separates humans from artificially intelligent computers or robots? Could robots have feelings? Could they make you have an emotional response? Have you ever felt sorry for or angry with Siri? What happens if a computer is programmed to override its own programming?

Two Magical Sixth Grade Reads with Dating Issues

Oct19

Fortune Falls by Jenny Goebel.
Sticks and Stones by Abby Cooper.

These books were similar in many ways. Our female protagonist in each book is a bit of a misfit, even an outcast, with a poor self-image and an innate limitation that exacerbates that problem. In the book Fortune Falls, Sadie is an Unlucky who lives in a town, Fortune Falls, where superstitions such as breaking your mother’s back when you step on a crack, are true laws of nature. In Sticks and Stones, Elyse suffers with CAV, a condition that causes the words that people use to describe her, good and bad, to appear in bold print on her arms and legs. The bad words, like “loser” or “klutz” or worse, itch ferociously; the good words, like “adorable” or “cool” or “sweet”, feel warm and comforting.

So Sadie is looking for a way to transcend her bad luck or even change it into good luck, while Elyse is just trying to survive or avoid the bad words people throw at her and glean lots more compliments and good words. Both of these problems speak to fears that middle schoolers (and many adults) often have: What if I’m just a born loser? What if I never do get into the “cool kids crowd”? Do I really want to be cool? On the other hand, do I want to see myself, and have others see me, as a pathetic outcast for the rest of my life? It’s the basic “Who am I really?” question. (By the way, there’s a black cat that figures prominently in Fortune Falls, but said cat has a bobbed tail. Cover error!)

Sadie answers the questions both by finding a little luck along the way and by accepting her luckless self as she is. These two solutions conflict somewhat and really beg the question. Sadie says she’s OK because she managed to work within the rigged system and grab some luck or because she believes she’s OK, and that’s enough. Elyse answers the “who am I really?” question by accepting her words, both good and bad, and by deciding not to apply bad words to herself. I’m not sure the resolution in either story is adequate. Bad words can hurt, even if you’re determined to not internalize them. And bad luck, in a town like Fortune Falls where luck is a real thing, could really damage or even kill.

Both Sadie and Elyse have friend issues, issues with “mean girls”, and boyfriend issues—all in the sixth grade. Sticks and Stones, in particular, has a heavy, heavy emphasis on sixth graders dating, even though it’s pretty tame dating, holding hands, kissing, breaking up, going steady, not at all what I would like to see sixth graders worrying about. Stereotypical “mean girls” are in both books. In Sticks and Stones, Elyse’s best friend joins the mean girls clique for no discernible reason. Both books have lots of name-calling. A sort of/kind of therapeutically good ending doesn’t make up for all the angst (at 12!) in the middle. I think sixth grade is way too young for the boyfriend/dating thing to figure so prominently in the stories, but it’s more and more of a theme in middle grade fiction. I don’t know which came first, the chicken or the egg, but eleven and twelve year olds are too young to have boyfriends and dates and jealousy over boys and breaking up and going steady. If it’s happening anyway in sixth grade, we need to discourage, not encourage, it.

Aside from the boyfriend/girlfriend nonsense, these are readable and serviceable, not for my library, but you may get better mileage than I did.

The Luck Uglies: Rise of the Ragged Clover by Paul Durham

Oct18

Rise of the Ragged Clover is the third, and I assume final, book in the Luck Uglies series. It’s been a good story from the beginning. Riley (Rye) O’Chanter and her family and friends fight against unnumbered foes, including the corrupt Earl Morningwig Longchance and his family, a multitude of Bog Noblins, the treacherous Fork-Tongue Charmers, and in this new book, Shriek Reavers and a River Wyvern. In an uneasy coalition with the Luck Uglies, outlaws who protect the town of Drowning, sometimes, Rye and her friends try to protect the weak and the innocent, but end up in dangerous and morally ambiguous situations over and over again until the final climax of the story has Rye face an impossible choice: let the Bog Noblins destroy Drowning or drown the town in a flood that might kill everyone anyway.

I really did like the story, but the moral ambiguity and ends-justify-the-means reasoning was too much for my sensibilities, which have admittedly been scarred by this election season. However, these are some of the nuggets of “wisdom” that Rye’s father drops, and I just couldn’t help applying them to our own national leadership crisis. This kind of advice (moral relativism) has led us to where we are now.

“Sometimes only the bad guys can save you. Sometimes it takes a villain to save you from the monsters.”

I can’t help it. I’m reading: “Sometimes we have to vote for the lesser of two evils. Sometimes only a strong, bad, guy is strong enough to shake things up and save us from a really evil and worse fate.” Consequentialism, blech.

” . . . a leader’s choices are sometimes impossible ones. The right decision may not be the best, and the best decision can be both right and wrong. So a real hero can only follow her heart.”

And what if “her heart” leads her to justify the killing of unwanted babies or what if “his heart” says he must kiss every girl he is attracted to? What if the hero’s heart is desperately wicked and deceptive?

“That magic, your unique abilities, they’re already within each of you. All you needed was something to believe in. And sometimes it’s easier to believe in a charm or a totem than it is to believe in ourselves.”

Again with the believe in yourself/follow your heart Disney-esque advice. And if you find it difficult to believe that you are a god and your heart is always right, make yourself a harmless little idol to convince you of your own omnipotence.

Finally in the end, Rye makes the right decision about her future, but again it’s just based on her feelings. She doesn’t feel like becoming a tough outlaw chieftain in order to bring about good for the town, the Luck Uglies, and her friends:

“I don’t want to use fear as a weapon and struggle for power. I don’t want to be the one to lead the Luck Uglies out of the dark if it means I must first step into the shadows myself.”

But the contorted, murky, and turgid moral reasoning that comes before that fine declaration is not what I needed to read in this contorted, murky, and turgid swamp of a political season. And the story itself is morally ambiguous, wth the bad guys sometimes seemingly not so bad, or least there’s always something badd-er for the villains to fight against and thereby become somewhat redeemable. I needed clear, bright lines between good and evil, lucid and rational ethical thought, and a real hero who trusts in some standard besides her own heart. I tend to believe that we all need those things, especially kids, especially now.

Maybe the timing was wrong for me to read this book. Maybe (probably) I’m loading way too much baggage onto a middle grade fantasy novel. If you enjoyed the first two books in the series, you’ll probably like this one, too. I would suggest that you read the three books in the trilogy in order. There are a lot of characters and creatures to keep straight, and I don’t think jumping into the middle (or the last third) of the story will work well for this one.

My review of the first two book in the Luck Uglies series (in which I was bothered by the moral ambiguity of the novels).

What’s New in the Library, Mid-October 2016

Oct17

Here are some new books added to my private subscription library, Meriadoc Homeschool Library:

Adventures of Morris the Moose by B. Wiseman. An I Can Read book. This book includes three Morris the Moose books: Morris the Moose, Morris Goes to School, and Morris and Boris at the Circus. For some reason, maybe because Morris’s friend is named Boris or because the illustrations are kind of goofy and cartoonish, this series always reminds me of the old cartoon of Rocky and Bullwinkle. I’m going to have to get those out and watch sometime. In the meantime early readers should enjoy the antics of Morris the Moose and Boris the Bear.

Veronica on Petunia’s Farm by Roger Duvoisin. More of my favorite animal picture book characters. Veronica the Hippopotamus visits Mr. Pumpkin’s farm where Petunia the Goose and her friends give her a not-so-warm welcome.

Geraldine Belinda by Marguerite Henry. This picture book/easy reader by Ms. Henry, the author of all those horse book including King of the Wind and Misty of Chincoteague, is not about horses, but rather about a little with twenty-five whole pennies to spend. Published in 1942, the adventures of Geraldine Belinda Marybel Scott include a trip to the store all on her own, an adventure in acquisition and loss, and a resolution that teaches a lesson. One of Geraldine’s purchases is a little “colored doll”, cute as can be, but if the appellation “colored” bothers you, you should discuss with your young reader or listener.

Dan Frontier Goes Exploring by William Hurley. Dan Frontier stars in a series of books for young readers. This one is about second grade reading level. In it, our hero fights with the Indians and rescues a kidnapped girl, White Dove, from them. If that’s problematic, find another series, but this one is well-loved, especially with boys.

The Hundred Penny Box by Sharon Bell Mathis. Michael’s great-great aunt Dew is a hundred years old, and she has a penny in her box for every single year of her life. Michael’s mother wants to throw away the old broken box and buy a new container for the pennies, but Michael and Aunt Dew are horrified by the idea. Newbery Honor book.

If You Lived in Colonial Times by Ann McGovern. Answers to a series of questions about colonial America, such as: Where did people buy their clothes? What did people eat? What did people do on Sunday? How did people get the news? Where did people take baths? What games did boys like? What did girls like to do?

If Your Name Was Changed at Ellis Island by Ellen Levine. Another question and answer history book, this time about immigrants through Ellis Island in 1892 and following. “Why did people come to America? How long would the ocean trip take? How did people learn English? What was the Staircase of Separation?”

The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas, adapted by Clarissa Hutton. Illustrated by Brett Helquist. I had to get this one because I love Brett Helquist’s pictures. And I think middle grade readers could enjoy an abridged version of The Three Musketeers. It’s one of my favorite adventure stories. Did you know that this book opens in the year 1625? It’s contemporary with the Pilgrims!

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. My copy of this wonder-filled Newbery classic disappeared somehow, so I was happy to find another one.

The Willow Whistle by Cornelia Meigs. About Mary Anne, a girl growing up on a frontier trading post, her friend Eric, a Norwegian immigrant who teaches her make a willow whistle, and their friend Gray Eagle, who becomes their mentor and rescuer. Some people won’t like the portrayal of Native Americans in this book, superstitious and quick to take offense, but I thought it was good story by a talented author.

For more information on Meriadoc Homeschool Library hours, days, and policies, see the MHSL webpage.

Sophie Quire and the Last Storyguard by Jonathan Auxier

Oct15

“The most priceless possession of the human race is the wonder of the world. Yet, latterly, the utmost endeavors of mankind have been directed towards the dissipation of that wonder . . . Nobody, any longer, may hope to entertain an angel unawares, or to meet Sir Lancelot in shining armor on a moonlit road. But what is the use of living in a world devoid of wonderment?” ~Kenneth Grahame, epigraph at the beginning of Sophie Quire and the Last Storyguard by Jonathan Auxier.

What indeed? Sophie Quire and the Last Storyguard, a sort of companion novel to Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes, is full of wonderment and adventure and storytelling and friendship and bravery and magic. The antagonists in the book either want squash nonsense (stories, magic, wonder) or to use the magic for nefarious and selfish purposes. Sophie, a twelve year old book mender and reader of all sorts of stories, wants to preserve and guard the stories, which brings me to my only quibble with this book itself. Sophie finds out fairly early in the story that she is the Last Storyguard, so I’m not sure why the book is called Sophie Quire and the Last Storyguard. I guess the symmetry with Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes was too much to resist.

Peter Nimble does return to play a major role in this novel. He is Sophie’s rescuer, even when she doesn’t want to be rescued, her helper, especially when the skills of a Master Thief are called for, and her admirer, although the admiration is abashed and from afar. Peter Nimble is accompanied by the intrepid Sir Tode, part cat, part horse, part human, and Sophie picks up her own sidekick along the way, an enormous silver tigress named Akrasia. Together these friends adventure across the Grimmwald and through the city of Bustleburgh to stop the villains who are planning to stop, destroy and immolate all nonsense (stories, magic, wonder, books!).

I found this book to be thoroughly enjoyable and thought-provoking. The themes, implied in the Grahame epigraph, and demonstrated throughout the story, have to do with the power of stories and the need for magic, good and bad, and wonder, in a life that is worth the living. The book never comes out and says so, but one of the ideas that I gleaned was that it is necessary to have choices and villains to fight and goodness to aspire to for our stories to make sense. For reasons we do not, perhaps cannot, fully understand, it is God’s plan for the wheat and the tares to grow together until the judgment day (see Matthew 13:24-30). Maybe I’m getting too philosophical in response to a children’s fantasy book, but that’s the way my mind works.

Enjoy the story. Guard the stories. After all, what is the use of living in a world devoid of wonderment?

Sincerely,

Sherry Early, Bookmender, Preservationist, Librarian, Storyguard.

Saturday Review of Books: October 15, 2016

Oct14

“Worlds and everything in them are made real by the stories that inhabit them. . . Stories are not mere diversions to occupy us on rainy days. They are a type of magic spell—perhaps the most powerful in existence—and their effect is to summon possibilities. . . Every time the spell is cast, the impossible becomes a little more possible.” ~Sophie Quire and the Last Storyguard by Jonathan Auxier

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The Eye of Midnight by Andrew Brumbach

Oct14

I read this book for my Cybils speculative fiction panel, but it’s really fairly straightforward, if unbelievable, adventure fiction set in 1929 New York City. There is a jinni and a magic mirror, but it’s never clear in the story whether these things are actually magical or whether the mirror in particular is just a Macguffin that some of the characters believe contains magical power while others use it to deceive the superstitious masses.

They peered at the package in the sickly light of the corner streetlamp. Nura lifted the lid with trembling fingers, and the cousins gazed at last upon the strange object for which they had risked their lives.
“What is it?” William asked.
“The Eye of Midnight,” replied Nura. “The Key to Paradise.”

On a stormy May day William and Maxine, cousins who hardly know each other, meet at the home of their mutual grandfather, Colonel Battersea. Soon after their arrival, Grandpa receives a telegram which takes the three of them to New York City to meet up with a courier who is bringing a special, secret package to Colonel Battersea. From there, the story rapidly becomes more and more frenzied, dangerous, and desperate as the children try to rescue Grandpa, find the lost package, decide whether or not to trust the courier, a girl named Nura, and work out their own new-found friendship. Along the way they encounter a gang of assassins, murderous gangsters, a helpful motorcyclist, and a cemetery full of secrets.

There were things I liked about this story, and things I didn’t. I liked the Indiana Jones feel to the story and the references to Sir Richard Burton and Lawrence of Arabia. I liked the three cousins working together to defeat the bad guys and rescue Grandpa. And I especially liked this scene toward the end of the novel:

On this evening, however, four pairs of eyes watched, transfixed, as the spider went about her work.
She moved with grace and dexterity, never hesitating, never perplexed by any riddle of engineering or architecture, as she crossed and recrossed her handiwork, tracing a memory.
“Who taught you how, little one?” murmured Grandpa as he watched. “When did God whisper the steps in your ear?”
Beside him Maxine stirred. Balling her fists, she snatched a napkin from the table and swept the web away.
“Hey, what’d you do that for?” said William.

The discussion of the spider and about God goes on from there. It’s a good vignette.

The parts I didn’t like involve the writing itself and the choice of villains. I’m not sure it’s the right time in history to present a story about evil, murderous Arabic Hashashin (assassins) who are tying to destroy New York City and take over the world. I know that the Old Man of the Mountain and his servants were a staple of European bogey-man tales of medieval Islamic enemies, but just now when there are actual murderous jihadist terrorists who are trying to infiltrate the United States, perhaps through New York City, and when prejudices and fears are high, it might not be best to present it all in story form for middle grade readers. Also Mr. Brumbach’s writing is sometimes good, but sometimes clunky and awkward, often cliched. (Like mine, but I’m not writing a book.) Example: “Maxine shrank back inexplicably. The thing was not pleasant to her sight.”

You get the idea. Read it for a Raiders of the Lost Ark-type adventure story, ignore the modern day parallels between the Hashashin and ISIS, and skip over the occasional lack of elegance. Not bad for a debut.

School of the Dead by Avi

Oct13

I’ve read and enjoyed other books by prolific children’s author Avi, but none were remotely like this horror story of a boy named Tony who sees ghosts or maybe zombies (although they are never called that), lots of them. It’s certainly not for everyone. If you don’t like horror and occultic elements, you’ll want to skip this story. But if you’re a fan of Hitchcock movies and paranormal fantasy, School of the Dead fits right into the Halloween genre and the Halloween season.

Twelve year old Tony has a weird uncle, Great Uncle Charlie, the kind of guy everyone asks about, saying, “What’s the deal with him anyway? How come Uncle Charlie is so weird?” The answer: “Every family has a weird uncle.” When Uncle Charlie moves in with Tony and his parents, however, Tony finds out that Uncle Charlie is really a great guy, lots of fun. And when Uncle Charlie dies, Tony is devastated. The only thing that Tony looks forward to is his transfer to Penda School, the school in San Francisco that Uncle Charlie graduated from and recommended to Tony.

From the time that Tony enters Penda School, things get really weird. No spoilers, but the plot involves voodoo, haunted corridors, secret rooms, zombie-like creatures, and soul-snatching. And it all takes place on and around Halloween. Again, it’s pretty creepy, and Tony has a hard time deciding whom to trust—or whether there’s anyone he can trust. His parents are suitably, for a scary story, useless and oblivious. In fact, all of the adults in the story are either part of the evil weirdness or else ineffectual and unhelpful.

The story is well written, as would be expected in the hands of such a veteran author, and Tony is a frustrating but understandable character who does all the things the reader would tell him not to do in a horror novel. He opens the door he shouldn’t open, drops the flashlight, shuts himself up in dark places, listens to the bad guys, fails to trust the good guys, etc. etc. But as the narrative progresses, he seems less stupid and more just trapped in an overwhelmingly evil place with an entire contingent of soul-sucking monsters.

Read it only if you’re immune to horror-induced nightmares.

Other Categories for Cybils

Oct12

Not yet nominated for Cybils:

Board Books
Animals Are Delicious by Sarah Hutt.
Jane Foster’s Colors by Jane Foster.
Little Honeybee by Katie Haworth.
Night Night, Farm by Amy Parker.
Shapes by Shanti Sparrow.
Shh! This Book Is Sleeping by Cedric Ramadier.
God Bless This Starry Night by Rebecca Elliott.

Fiction Picture Books
A Year of Borrowed Men by Michelle Barker.

Nonfiction Picture Books
Creation by Cynthia Rylant.
Ada Lovelace, Poet of Science: The First Computer Programmer by Diane Stanley.
Mother Teresa: The Smile of Calcutta by Charlotte Grossetete.
A Voyage in the Clouds: The (Mostly) True Story of the First International Flight by Balloon in 1785 by Matthew Olshan.
Around America to Win the Vote: Two Suffragists, a Kitten, and 10,000 Miles by Mara Rockliff.
Circle by Jeannie Baker.
The Wildest Race Ever: The Story of the 1904 Olympic Marathon by Meghan MCCarthy
Flying Frogs and Walking Fish: Leaping Lemurs, Tumbling Toads, Jet-Propelled Jellyfish and More Surprising Ways That Animals Move by Steve Jenkins.
Green City: How One Community Survived a Tornado and Rebuilt for a Sustainable Future by Allan Drummond.
Lift Your Light a Little Higher: The Story of Stephen Bishop, Slave-Explorer by Heather Henson.
Plants Can’t Sit Still by Rebecca Hirsch.
Whoosh! Lonnie Johnson’s Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions by Chris Barton.

Middle Grade Fiction
The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine.
The Mystery of the Jeweled Moth by Katherine Woodfine.
A Patron Saint for Junior Bridesmaids by Shelley Tougas.
The Worst Night Ever by Dave Barry.
That’s Not Hay in my Hair by Juliette Turner.
As Brave As You by Jason Reynolds.
Bandit’s Tale: The Muddled Misadventures of a Pickpocket by Deborah Hopkinson.
The Gallery by Laura Marx Fitzgerald.
To Catch a Cheat by Varian Johnson.
Just Like Me by Nancy Cavanaugh.
The Skeleton Tree by Iain Lawrence.

Middle Grade/Elementary Nonfiction
Step Right Up: How Doc and Jim Key Taught the World about Kindness by Donna Janell Bowman.
Willa: The Story of Willa Cather, an American Writer by Amy Ehrlich.
America’s Tea Parties: Not One but Four! Boston, Charleston, New York, Philadelphia by Marissa Moss.
A Girl Called Vincent: The Life of Poet Edna St. Vincent Millay by Krystyna Goddu.
The Mummy Makers of Egypt by Tamara Bower.
Rise of the Lioness: Restoring a Habitat and Its Pride on the Liuwa Plains by Bradley Hague.

Young Adult Fiction
A Daring Sacrifice by Jody Hedlund.

Young Adult Speculative Fiction
Forever Doon by Carey Corp and Laurie Langdon.
Guile by Constance Cooper.
Remnants: Season Of Glory by Lisa Tawn Bergren.
Below: Broken Sky Chronicles, Book 1 by Jason Chabot.
Assassin’s Heart by Sarah Ahiers.
Julia Vanishes by Catherine Egan

Young Adult Nonfiction
Blood Brother: Jonathan Daniels and His Sacrifice for Civil Rights by Rich Wallace.
Comics Confidential: Thirteen Graphic Novelists Talk Story, Craft, and Life Outside the Box by Leonard Marcus.
In the Shadow of Liberty: The Hidden History of Slavery, Four Presidents, and Five Black Lives by Kenneth C. Davis.
Lost in the Pacific, 1942: Not a Drop to Drink by Tod Olson.
Vietnam: A History of the War by Russell Freedman.

Poetry
Are You an Echo?: The Lost Poetry of Misuzu Kaneko by Misuzu Kaneko.
Unbound: A Novel in Verse by Ann E. Burg.
The Wonderful Habits of Rabbits by Douglas Florian.

Here’s the link again to nominate. Nominations are open through Saturday, October 15th. If you don’t nominate, theses books can’t be considered.

The Secrets of Solace by Jaleigh Johnson

Oct12

I read Ms. Johnson’s The Mark of the Dragonfly, the first book set in the World of Solace, and I enjoyed it. I called it “techno-steampunk fantasy science fiction.” This book fits into the same genre and is set in the same world, but it’s a companion novel, not really a sequel. Either book could be read on its own terms and appreciated with or without the other.

The Mark of the Dragonfly features a super-cool train, and this new Solace book has a sentient airship. Both books feature feisty, adventurous female protagonists with kind and supportive male friends. In The Secrets of Solace, Lina Winterbock is an archivist apprentice in the Archivist stronghold of Ortana. The war between the Merrow Kingdom and the Dragonfly Territories is bringing many refugees and difficult decisions to the mountain strongholds of the Archivists, who are trying to remain neutral in the war.

Lina herself must make some hard decisions about whom to trust when she discovers a valuable artifact in the depths of a secret cavern in the mountain. Can she trust Ozben, a refugee boy with his own secrets? What about her teacher and mentor, Zara, who has been too busy to pay much attention to Lina for a long time now? Can anyone other than Lina herself be trusted with a secret that might change the course of the war?

Although the pacing and the balance between action and explication felt “off” to me as I read, children who are really interested in this sort of thing might not mind or even notice. It takes a long time to get to the climax of the plot, and then all the political stuff is hurriedly explained and within two chapters, resolved. Lina and Ozben develop a good strong friendship, but Lina’s mentor has a rather lame excuse for her neglect of her ward. If this sort of book interests you, I would suggest The Mark of the Dragonfly first because I think it’s the better book. Then, if you like that one, you might like this one, too.