Peak by Roland Smith

This was a Pretty Exceptional book And better than most Kinds I’ve been reading lately.

Peak (as in mountain) first lands in trouble from his stunt climbing a skyscraper. It wasn’t the first building he left his tag on, but it was the first one he forgot to check and see what was going on inside that day. The mayor’s visit set Peak up to be snagged by the cops at top and filmed by a TV crew.

The notoriety brings forth Peak’s absent dad who offers to whisk him out of the country until the media uproar dies down.

En route to the Asian city where Peak’s dad enrolled him in school, they make a detour to base camp at Mount Everest, where Peak’s father offers the chance for him to summit the peak as the youngest person yet with the happy consequence of also boosting the fame and fortune of his father’s flagging mountain-climbing company.
There is then the convergence of the perfect storm of conflict against the backdrop of Peak’s mature grappling with the past and continuous neglect of his famous but single-minded father… a hopeless “rock rat.”

The self-sacrifice, courage, and tension between pursuing a passion and balancing relationships is a fabulous read along with a fabulous non-preachy message. There is much to like and all of it engaging.

I’m sorry not to give it full safety rating though it came close. I’d note for parents that Peak’s mom was not married when he was “conceived in a tent.” It is something worth discussing with your tween, especially older ones… note that she was eager to leave her own family of origin (no details given), but it was significant for her. Part of the theme of the book is the effect dealing with his father’s absence and disinterest had on Peak. Also of note is how admirable a mom Peak has. Pregnancy cut short her climbing career, but she never looked back. It was because she could not but focus on her new baby that she lost her competitive edge. She built a loving family with a man who proved to be a good stepfather to Peak. Her advice to Peak upon his embarking on the summit experience is a remarkable speech. No surprise she has a remarkable son.

SAFETY RATING: 2 Flags

See: Pre-Marital Sex: Lessons from Reason, Scripture

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Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

This genre falls outside my usual fare. It’s known as “alternative history.” For the most part, it’s an excellent ambassador book. I would try the genre again after this book’s introduction.

The time period in which it is loosely based is World War I. The archduke of Austria and his wife are murdered, setting the stage for war. His son, Alek, escapes with the help of Count Volga and is on the run toward a safe place: a castle stronghold. He is escaping with a crew of loyal men in a “clanker” which is an armored, walking, war-machine.

Simultaneously, a young girl named Deryn joins the British air force posing as a boy. The British air force has benefitted from the work of the Darwinists, who have designed flying machines that are living, replicating, and self-repairing entities.
While Alek escapes in the walker and holes up in a castle that Volga and Alek’s father prepped for the purpose, Deryn proves herself an able pilot, meets up with Darwin’s granddaughter and is aboard when the mighty airship, Leviathan, crashes in the Artic. The Leviathan is a fabricated animal that the British Darwinists created. It’s an amazing airbeast.

Deryn and Alek meet up when Alek tries to help Deryn’s injured crewmates. Together (and apart) they brave battles, hoist up the collapsed walker using the Leviathan, and have some rocking adventures until Derynn reveals her identity and Alek also reveals his identity to the famous and valuable scientist, aka Darwin’s granddaughter. All of which sets up the end for the sequel.

At the end, the author chimes in and clarifies some historical facts and liberties he took with them.

Other than an over-use of the word “barking” that became quite annoying, the writing in this one is decent. The action is believable and engaging. It’s a well-told story.

I was baffled by one event. The archduke was married to a commoner; as a result, his children were not allowed to inherit the throne. In the book, this was apparently solved because the Pope granted a dispensation and the paper was given to Alek, who didn’t question it.

Maybe I misunderstand dispensations or even the book since I listened to it on audio and don’t have the text to refer to; however, dispensations are granted prior to a wedding if a Catholic is marrying outside the Church. I’m unclear how a dispensation paper would help after the fact. An annulment might be more pertinent… if Popes could “grant” them. They only may make a judgment that a sacramental wedding did not take place… which should be a rare event and certainly wouldn’t be historical. Maybe there is more to a dispensation than I know.

I've noticed that frequently, authors seem to wax enthusiastic over Darwin and evolution. This novel’s got that subtext going on.

Much ink has been spilled on this topic, and a mere book review need not add to it. But I will address, briefly as I can, how I see it in this story.

Evolution really must be defined, and that simply can’t be done quickly. Summarizing Pope John Paul II as best I can: evolution is a complex topic unable to be addressed in a sound bite. We must engage in the intellectual work required in order to understand the complexity of the topic. (This, of course, immediately cuts out most the media and a good portion of the population). We Catholics may NOT link it inextricably to the philosophy of materialism or secular humanism (this immediately knocks out the majority of academia).

So does this author buy into the popular close-minded myth that the Church is against science, or does he respect the intellectual engagement re: evolution as explicated by the Church who birthed to scientific revolution?

I think his subtext is that the Darwinists are superior scientists who are ahead of people like Alek (ostensibly an Austrian Catholic), who have clanky, heavy war machines and are suspicious of the marvelous Darwinists’ creations.

When, for example, Deryn shows Alek with the eggs that makes up the next potential Leviathan airship and refers, breathlessly, to the incredible threads that contain the instructions for life does Alek respond intelligently, say, with a question like… Who designed the threads of life? How did they get there?

Nope. We get the backward exclamation,”Godless!” (which he repeats... a lot). As educated Catholics know, humans are made in the image of God… not animals. Animals show the beauty and goodness of God’s creation, but they can’t be godless because they are animal souls. No Catholic would say that. And, sorry, but a prince of Austria back then would have been educated in the Catholic faith. So, I conclude there is a bias here.

You might consider it a good teaching opportunity or you might skip it. I do think it’s worth reading along…

SAFETY RATING: 2 Flags

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Scrawl by Mark Shulman

Thursday, Feb 4th

Searched all over for the book, Scrawl. I know I checked it out from the library. I finally found it hiding with my fifteen-year old in a back closet where she hoped I wouldn’t disturb her. Too bad. I had five minutes to make it through the first few pages.

Friday, Feb 5th

I can’t believe I had to track the book down again. Wait. I can believe it. What am I saying? The voice of this character, Tod, pulled me in, too. I think I’ll have to hide it from the fifteen year old until I’m done first. I’m convinced this Tod character is a good kid even if he is in detention for bullying. I appreciate his guidance counselor, too. I want to hear from Tod, and I’m glad she keeps out of his journal for the most part. Except it was cool when she told him to keep the swear words out; not that “hell” is the worst swear word out there. But Tod seems a little too talented a writer for a bully.

Monday, Feb. 8th

OK. Tod’s a straight-A student, and now that I’m seeing some of his home life, I get why he’s both bright and a bully. I like his voice. I want his story to end well. I can already see that, unlike some books that like to be edgy and drag you through the degradation of the worst of high school, this guy tells a realistic story without the descent into the gutter. Tod is a likeable guy, and I find myself rooting him on.

Tuesday, Feb 9th

Tod’s got a friend with the proverbial chip on the shoulder. He and Tod run into a couple of Protestant Fundamentalists trying to proselytize them in a run-down neighborhood. Tod handles it with aplomb, but his friend reacts in a ridiculously hostile way. He’s furious that they dare to evangelize outside their church, and then screams some Bible verse out-of-context that sends them scurrying off. Maybe the author wanted to illustrate the ugly hypocrisy of a formerly-Christian society (ours) that has lost touch with its love of freedom of speech and religion and has so lost its intellectual roots, it resorts to out-of-context Biblical quotes as some kind of argument. It’s a little off-topic for the book, except that Tod is much more intelligent than his friends and maybe he eventually outgrows them, and maybe this is an appropriate foreshadowing…

Wed. Feb 10th

The book is back on track and I am enjoying Tod’s detention via his writings. I think he likes it, too. He has an outlet for his vivid voice. I hope his friend, Bernie, stays loyal and that the clothes for the play work out. Can you imagine being a teen bully who feels obligated enough to go searching for clothes to outfit the actors/actresses of your school play for the girl you find intriguing? Even if you have to dig through dumpsters? You go, Tod.

Thurs. Feb 11th

Unlike Tod, I won’t be revealing the details of his life because this is one you really need to read for yourself: right up to the end that comes full circle: on a believable note with a rough guy who stands a good chance of becoming more than a bully.

(Hat-tip to Nancy for the book-rec.)

For discussion: see comments on Feb. 9 and be aware that Mark's mom is divorced/remarried.

Safety Rating: 2.5 Flags

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When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly Willis Holt

Of my recent forays into adolescent literature, this was the most well-written. The characters were masterfully drawn and the evocation of small-town life almost made this city girl feel I missed out on something.

Above all, the story is about relationships: short and long-term.

The summer that Zachary Beaver came to Toby’s hometown, his life fundamentally shifted thanks to meeting Zachary, suffering with his best friend, yearning over his first love, and losing his mother’s daily presence.

Toby and his best friend, Cal, meet Zachary Beaver when his one-man freak show comes to town. Zachary is featured as the fattest boy alive. But his guardian and ticket-taker, Paulie, takes off for awhile to find another act, and the town, especially Toby and Cal, pitch in to take care of Zachary.

Cal and Toby are the ones who see that Zachary has a yearning to be baptized, per his deceased mother’s request. Even though Cal is Catholic, Toby is Baptist, so only a full immersion baptism will do. You can imagine it’s not easy with Zachary’s size a factor.

All in the same summer, Cal’s brother dies in Vietnam, and Toby lets down his best friend by not attending the funeral. Toby’s mother left to sing in a contest at the Grand Ole Opry, and when she places second, she stays to pursue her dream.

There are only three things I would make note of, and none would rule out the book for an older tween.

Toby’s crush is described wearing short shorts, and Toby makes a mental note about wishing he was the dollar bill she slid into her pocket. It skirts a little close to the lewd boundary there, but veers safely back after that observation.

Zach’s baptism is treated with respect. It’s not treated with depth. The study guide at the end of my copy of the book revealed a more shallow trendy notion by referring to baptism as a spiritual ritual, this implying it on par with lighting a candle at prayer time. Not even the same league. Spiritual rituals being what humans do to reach closer to God, while baptism is a sacrament and centers on what God does for us.

I would not pass up this opportunity to discuss with my tween the silence in the story regarding Toby’s mother’s desertion. And desertion is my word. Here, it is often described as her pursuing her dream. It elicits a lot of anger on Toby’s part, a tacit acceptance by Toby’s father, and a polite silence from the town. The selfish nature of her act is left for your personal interpretation.

SAFETY RATING: 2 Flags

See Catechism of the Catholic Church: Baptism 1213, 1121, 405,

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A World Away: The Quest of Dan Clay by T.J. Smith

Dan Clay… Hooray!

Hooray for a clean and fun adventure story.

Hooray for a Catholic protagonist who’s realistic and admirable.

Hooray for a story with Catholic themes and references.

Hooray for a solid, clean, intriguing story.

Hooray for the loyalty, friendships, adventures, and interesting characters.

Hooray that the series runs for 3 books not just one.

Hooray for you for getting a copy.

SAFETY RATING: 3 Flags

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The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

The Thief opens with an apparently low-born thief, locked in prison, then freed by a small band of characters who work for the King and wish to engage the thief’s services to help them steal a valuable stone known to them via the legends of the Gods.

They set forth on a journey to find it. Its whereabouts is known to the man in charge; who is counting on the thief, Gen, to retrieve it.

Eugenides, aka the Thief goes along. But he has a surprising agenda of his own.

Remember how amusing the repartee between Gimli and Legolas? The exchanges amongst these companions are more mean-spirited. It reflects the mix of good and bad amongst the sojourners that reveals itself by the end.

It is a quirky tale that seems to take place at the time of the Middle Ages, yet speaks of the use of guns. That hearkens to the fact that the author is not trying to write historical fiction. Thank goodness. I’ve rarely found the -post modern author that can approach the Middle Ages without taking pot-shots at the Church.

This author was inspired by the tales of the old Greek Gods and the Greek countryside. Her tale reads weaves a story of pagan Gods reminiscent of the ancient Greek ones (Gods and legends, that is). The travelers relate the stories of the Gods around the campfire… One appears to Gen in a dream and guides him, a la Odysseus-style. With the favor of the Gods, he obtains the ring they are seeking, encounters the Gods that he believes in, though the encounter does not make clear that these Gods exist: an argument can be made either way, and his companions remain skeptical. All culminates in a surprise ending that reveals the agenda of the Thief.

Should this be a problem for older tweens? Knowledgeable ones? Probably not. They will have encountered much the same in the Iliad and the Odyssey. But I detect a possible creep of author bias. Specifically, there is a point where the main character, after we have grown in fondness and appreciation of him, makes note that he finds the rituals and traditions of the temples empty. Oh, he believes in the Gods, but he’s “beyond the temple worship.” Duly noted. Sounds suspiciously like the contemporary pop view: I’m spiritual and I believe in God, just not organized religion.

SAFETY RATING: 2 Flags

See Catechism of the Catholic Church:
Liturgical Worship 1070

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My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell

Cold, gray days in England give way to the sun-soaked shores of a Greek island for the lucky family in this book. Coming from the Pacific Northwest, I can relate. Tired of England’s dreary, gray days, Gerry’s family picked up, packed up, and headed to a rented villa on the Greek island of Corfu.

Corfu is paradise for a boy obsessed with nature. Settle in for incredible descriptions of the natural flora, fauna, and especially creatures of all types and sizes that populate this island and this boy’s fascination. He describes his adventures with humor and extraordinary detail. I was charmed by his descriptions of numerous insects that I wouldn’t willingly get close to. And I anthropomorphized the lizard that inhabited his room right along with him!

Sophisticated readers will delight in this tale. I say sophisticated because Gerry Durrell’s writing style is several notches above many books written for an fast-paced generation. You’ve got to slow down and join with the narrator in his detailed and complexly-woven descriptions of his boyhood hiatus in Greece. It’s hard for me to imagine any regular reader not enjoying the journey, but fair warning: non-readers could be overwhelmed.

A couple of minor eyebrow-raising moments: He mentions his sister attracts male observers when she sunbathes. The brother Larry makes a joking reference to a wish to stay at an idyllic beach and be fed grapes by naked dryads. And there is a party where a pastor with several children is confronted by a fan of sterilization who rather arrogantly makes a comment regarding “breeders.” It’s written in a style meant to convey the chaotic atmosphere of a large party. I found it to be a teaching moment for the age group that would be reading at this level. My 14 yr. old is already being prepped for these kinds of comments… so, no flags lost for this age group…

(hat-tip to Michael for another good recommendation)

SAFETY RATING: 3 Flags (for older tweens)

See Catechism of the Catholic Church:
Sterilization and the integrity of the human body:2398 2399

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The Radioactive Boy Scout by Ken Silverstein

Ever hear of the boy who built a nuclear breeder in a backyard shed?

It’s a true story of an adolescent mad-scientist, captivated by chemistry, who managed to collect most of the elements on the periodic table including many that are virtually unobtainable. Moving on from that challenge, he tried to build a renewable energy source: a nuclear breeder, He succeeded and was finally shut down by a federal government raid that discovered a highly radioactive backyard shed in his quiet suburban neighborhood.

The author details the background, events, and character of this boy and his dangerous experiments. Interestingly enough, although he sketches the problems of his home life: divorced parents who are inattentive, lax in discipline, and who fail to find him guidance or mentorship, (also, in the case of his mother, is suicidal and schizophrenic), he attributes the lion’s share of the reason for the boy's uncontrolled experimentins with… a book and the boy scouts. That’s correct; I’m not kidding: the Boy Scouts. He refers once to David’s father as “long-suffering,” revealing a certain deference that he never accords to the scouts or the Golden Book of Chemistry, a currently unpublished book packed with a smorgashboard of irresponsible scientific experiments.

That’s right. The big culprits in David’s shenanigans are clearly the conservative Boy Scouts and the now-out-of-print book called “The Golden Book of Chemistry.” The conservative bent of the Boy Scouts, where David earned his badge in Science for Eagle Scouts has conservative origins. And conservatives, the author clearly delineates for us, are radiant (pun intended) about all the possibilities inherent in nuclear energy. And the conservative Boy Scouts just helped David right along because, in case you didn’t catch it, they are conservative. And conservatives are big supporters of nuclear energy. For no good reason whatsoever… or if there was a good reason, even a misguided one, you won’t find it here. This is a tendentiously biased account. Which is too bad because I think the author had good reasons to argue against nuclear energy; the argument was just too heavy-handed and emotional over what amounts to politics.

So, you’ll get to know about how the leader of the Boy Scouts was…. a conservative. You’ll get the skinny on how under his leadership, the Boy Scouts tried to stamp out masturbation… ever-after referred to as “self-abuse,” just to be sure you realize how ridiculous such an attempt was. Apparently , the Boy Scout founder tried to align the Boy Scouts with the Hitler Youth...a sorrowful detail I never knew. This idea was soundly rejected by the Boy Scout board. They must not have been conservatives…

It is an interesting story, but weigh my warnings carefully depending on the age of your tween. The other things to watch out for would be his quote from a movie that included the “F” word, and he makes a reference that “most boys David’s age would be looking at Playboy magazine” in school. While this makes sense of his derisive tone toward trying to curb masturbation, it is not a message I’d want sent to my adolescent boy. I plan to send a consistent and true message that he can overcome temptation to lust and have sexual self-control. He’d better because I expect him to treat every woman as some one’s daughter, worthy of utmost dignity, and never an object or pawn for lust whether in a magazine or face-to-face. Self-mastery is always a help in developing virtue.

SAFETY RATING: 1 Flag

See Catechism of the Catholic Church:

Offenses against chastity: Lust 2351; Masturbation 2352; Pornography 2354

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Rebound by Bob Krech

Swish! (Basketball talk for the ball is in.) So's the book. It's a winner.

Raymond Wisniewski loves basketball. He invests hours a day in playing and practicing, hoping to make the school team. This author does such a fine writing job, your heart sinks with Ray when he does not make the team two years running.

Senior year, a new coach debuts, and Ray makes the team. He and one other Polish boy are the only white players. The gist of the story is Ray’s experience of prejudice. He faces his own, the other players’, and certain adults’ as well. His first coach was prejudiced in favor of the black players, and his second, a black coach, was quite fair to all his players while also tough on them all. As this coach sees the racial tension come to a head, he warns them that they must each decide for themselves who and how they will be defined.

In the final climatic scene, Ray and his friends do exactly that. There are black and white punks, and black and whites who overcome their prejudice and respect themselves and others. Ray also learns that beautiful girls can be shallow, while plainer girls can have great depth. Basketball is the vehicle through which these relationships and lessons play out. It is superbly done.

While the book is mid-tween in readability, its content is more suitable to older tweens.

The language is not excessively bad; I cringe the most at the few casual uses of God’s name. 1 sh_t. There’s a bully taunt: “fairy boy,” and a reference to fat b_tts. The main character has clean language. He’s decent, likable, and a boy of character.

The areas I would recommend a parent’s input on, are the following: One character recommends dating a certain girl because “she gives.” (no, doesn’t say what). Ironically, while the boys come from a Polish community which gave us a Polish pope who taught Theology of the Body, we get a weak, anemic view on sex from the dad: he has a quick conversation with Ray in which he assumes the school gives him the sex talks and his input on sexual wisdom is, “use the Big Head, not the Little head.” A high-school character also tells Ray to use his Polish pickle or protection.

While the Catholic church is universal and has always taught that everyone is created in God’s image, racism is still a sin that many Catholics have succumbed to. This books handles this issue well and fairly though no genuine religious aspect comes through. A parent could add a lot of depth here. And a parent may want to consider the breadth of their tween’s knowledge. Do they know why the older Polish men in the neighborhood would be furious at the swastika sign on one Polish boy’s arm?

Ray also attends a party where there is drugs/alchohol. I was disappointed that his character said something about not caring if the other guys did the drugs. It was a bit counter-balanced by the excellent reaction of the coach and father who busted them just for being there (the near occasion of sin isn't mentioned but implied.) The main character never drank or smoked the pot. He was just weak about the other player who did partake. (No details given, and he left the party right away).

Safety Rating: 2 Vatican Flags; High Readability

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Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Just see from the summary if most (older) tween boys (girls, too, of course) could resist:

Ender is the third child in his family who is chosen by the government at the mere age of six to attend Battle School. After close monitoring, which included 24 hour surveillance, it was concluded that he could be The One… a human capable of being the commander to lead the Earth’s forces when the Buggers come back.

Years ago, the Buggers invaded Earth and nearly annihilated humanity. The cowboy antics of the brilliant general, Razor Mackham, were the only reason mankind survived. It has been determined that another leader like him must be found in order to keep humanity alive when the Buggers return.

So, Ender is sent to Battle School in space where he is tested to his utmost limits: and learns to lead armies, battle in all sorts of adverse conditions, and win at all costs with all odds stacked against him. He is ready to move to commander school at the tender age of 11: a full 5 years before anyone else has ever graduated.

With me so far?

Turns out, when he gets to Command School and engages in further training, he is in fact leading Earth’s forces in a pre-emptive all-out attack on the Buggers’ homeworld and outposts. He wins, but only because he made an us-or-them decision believing he was still in mock-battle training.

Then, in a further emotional twist, Ender is left a message by the Buggers who knew he was coming to destroy them, and he now is given a chance to help the Bugger’s re-populate.

This is an all-out rollicking good sci-fi book. Fans of the genre will love it, non-fans of the genre may still like such a stand-out.

On to the ratings and cautions.

First, there is some violence. Anyone old enough to follow and enjoy this story probably will be able to handle the level of violence, but it is certainly for older tweens and not the very sensitive. Ender actually, albeit unintentionally, kills 2 boys who attacked him, and there is a video-game violent description of scooping a dead giant’s eyeball out, snakes in someone’s mouth, and Ender’s brother is sadistic and tortures animals.

The book is, rightly, touted for the moral questions it raises. I would want my tween to have parental guidance here. There is the suggestion of a mindless evolutionary process being responsible for our survival instincts and that this is the guiding force behind our survival. God was once mentioned ambiguously as one possible agent who effects change in the universe. The religious sense is relativistic; in the end, Ender becomes a priest of his own religion on his new planet where no other (equally) competing religions exist.

Kind of disturbing was when we learn more of the Buggers in the end; we see that they would have liked to have forgiveness extended. They (the Queen, really) were ready for unity once they understood humans to be sentient. As is the common case in sci-fi, the measure of worth of beings is sentience, as opposed to being made in the image of a Creator. And while it is unclear, of course, what plan God may have for an alien species’ salvation (not a moral/religious question brought up in the book), just as we learn about the ability of the ant queen to desire harmony, we also learn she terminates her first 2 daughters until the 3rd shows promise of thinking like the Queen does. This one was deemed worthy of keeping in cocoon form in hopes that Ender would later find her and re-establish their colony.

Now, I know they are ant-like and all, but the whole issue of suddenly seeing the light regarding the intelligence and human-like feelings of the ants stirring up our compassion, just in time to have the Big Ant kill babies that fail to show promise of enough compassion/desire for harmony gets a little muddy. It’s all worth navigating with parental input.

Safety Rating: 1 Flag; High Readability

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