MMGM: The Thrilling Ride of The Jules Verne Prophecy

 

Like with epistolary novels, I've been on a hunt (no pun intended) for middle grades about treasure hunts lately. When I saw The Jules Verne Prophecy (Larry Schwarz and Iva-Marie Palmer) was set in Paris and involved Jules Verne, I knew I had to read it! 

Jules Verne has always been a favorite at my house. We watched all the classic movies about his novels and devoured his books as my sons were growing up.

What drew me in was the Paris setting. It brought back so many memories of my trip there in my twenties. A friend and I walked over the whole city, determined to try to experience Paris on $0/day. (We were broke college students.)

Luxembourg Gardens is in the Jules Verne Prophecy and it's free! *

 If you love Paris and Jules Verne, then you are in for a treat.

Synopsis:

Owen Godfrey is spending his summer in Paris studying science fiction writer Jules Verne, the brilliant mind behind Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and Around the World in Eighty Days. When Owen and his new friends find what appears to be a dusty copy of Verne’s collected works in an old bookshop, they’re intrigued by the hidden codes written inside. As one clue leads to another, the trio gets swept up in an epic treasure hunt spanning the city—from the depths of the catacombs to the top of the Eiffel Tower, and by way of skateboard, boat, car, and even a hot air balloon!  But they quickly realize they’re not the only ones searching for the hidden riches, and that there are others who will stop at nothing to get to them first.

This fast-paced larger-than-life adventure is filled with action, high stakes, and three friends who are dead set on cracking the Jules Verne mystery.

Highlights of The Jules Verne Prophecy:

1.    A fun, engaging main character. Like last week’s post with a fun male protagonist, Owen is all over the place sometimes in his thoughts. He also loves skateboarding, which will appeal to many readers. Crazy adventures and mishaps just seem to cling to him, which is a lot of fun to read about.

2.    Cool puzzles based on a fictional Jules Verne manuscript. I thought the whole idea of Jules Verne setting up a puzzle for his fans to solve was a lot of fun. There were a ton of nods to his works which true fans will enjoy. It certainly made me want to check out more of his work!

3.    Three distinct characters that work as a team. Owen, Nas, and Rose were different and memorable in their personalities and their backgrounds. They each had strengths that helped solve the mystery. And learning not to make assumptions about a person was a key theme.

4.    Action! Action! Action! Boy, this novel though not short (346 pages), it kept me on the edge of my seat. Although I figured a few things out, there were a lot of twists I didn’t see coming but totally worked. Kids who love adventure (or movies like the Goonies) will love this.

 

5.    A perfect ending. It looks like this book is set up to be a series, but I couldn’t find any information about when or if a sequel will be released. But the ending tied things up for now in the most perfect way.

Max, the Reading Dog*

Max’s Take (on a five bone 🦴scale): 

Other than a brief mention of Laika, my hero, there are no dogs in this book. This book would’ve been so much better, if Owen had a dog. I would’ve sniffed out the clues and the villain right away. Aw, people! 🦴🦴

 

*Photo credit: photo of Max and Luxembourg Gardens by Jenni Enzor 

Your Turn:

Have you read The Jules Verne Prophecy? What are your favorite treasure hunting movies or books? 

 

MMGM: Time Traveling with a Hamster

 

When a fellow MMGM blogger highlighted this book a couple months ago, I knew I had to read it. Time travel and hamsters!

This book is one wild ride, but what I loved even more is that it has so much heart. Often people talk about plot-driven vs character-driven books as if they are mutually exclusive. But a standout middle grade has both aspects.

And this one has it in spades! In addition, I think this book, despite its length, would really appeal to boys and reluctant readers. And as a mom of two young men and a former special education teacher, I know how hard it is to find books that boys find engaging. We need more books like this!

SYNOPSIS

“My dad died twice. Once when he was thirty nine and again four years later when he was twelve.

The first time had nothing to do with me. The second time definitely did, but I would never even have been there if it hadn’t been for his ‘time machine’…”

When Al Chaudhury discovers his late dad’s time machine, he finds that going back to the 1980s requires daring and imagination. It also requires lies, theft, burglary, and setting his school on fire. All without losing his pet hamster, Alan Shearer…(from Goodreads)

My Take

 

1.    Al is boy that is relatable. He isn’t into sports, and he doesn’t have many friends, but he has a strong relationship with his grandfather and just wants to see his dad again. He has depth, and even when he’s making some crazy decisions, I still felt for him.

2.    An incredible voice and an interesting way of telling the story. I loved how Al sometimes spoke directly to the reader. He often jumps back and forth in time in telling his story—but that totally worked, since it is a time travel novel. Yet he always sounds like a 12-year-old boy.

3.    A very twisty and complex plot (a lesson on how to be cruel to your characters) Sometimes I notice that writers set up scenes where something really bad could happen, but the main character narrowly escapes. I always see that as a wasted opportunity. That never happens in this book. If something bad could happen, it usually does, and this made for a read that was very hard to put down.

4.    Family, culture, and characters. I learned so much from this book about the culture of Geodie and Punjabi culture. I loved that Grandpa Byron, who is equal parts both, considers himself first of all British. He and Al’s relationship was a highlight of the book, but all the characters, even the not-so-likable ones, were richly drawn.

5.    An amazing ending. The ending was surprising, but well-earned. It had lots of action but tons of heart. It was exactly what I was hoping for, but didn't think was possible.

If you like time travel fiction with a ton of heart and well-developed characters, you will love this book!

Max’s Take (on a five bone 🦴scale):

Max, the Reading Dog*

Well, there was that hamster who went everywhere with Al. But why couldn’t he have been a dog? Laika was the first dog in space. We need a book about a dog time traveler. 🦴🦴🦴

Your turn

Do you like books or films about time travel? What are your favorites? 

 

ISWG: What I've Learned from My Favorite Childhood Authors

Often, I get asked by other writers why I write for kids. My standard answer is that deep down I still feel twelve (or sixteen if the YA mood strikes me). Seriously, my best ideas are often based on my own or my sons’ childhood experiences. 

As Flannery O’Connor said, “Anybody who has survived his childhood has enough information about life to last him the rest of his days.”

This month’s question was relatively easy for me. These are books that not only impacted me as a person, but as a writer. When I think about what kind of writer I want to be, I think of a long list of authors who wrote so well for children that I still feel like these characters are my best friends. These are just some highlights.

What I learned from my childhood friends books:

 

Description/Characters

Description has always been a challenge for me. My drafts are usually very sparse, just dialogue, action, and inner thoughts. I usually add description as layers in later drafts. But maybe because it doesn’t come naturally to me, I love reading authors who do lush description well. And many older books do. 

What I learned from Wilder and Mongomery and Lovelace:

• People will stay with a well-rounded interesting character, even if there’s not a lot of action.

• Everyday life is beautiful and full of drama and joy.

• To capture characters and description well, pay attention to the people around you.

• Women from the past wanted to be writers too!

Humor

 

I went through a serious Roald Dahl kick as a child. I loved his smarter-than-the-adults characters, and I delighted in how the awful adults always got their comeuppance. Recently, I got to see Willy Wonka the musical, and it brought back so many fond memories. Writing humorously is something I’ve had to work on, but it comes more naturally as I learn to take myself less seriously.

 

 

What I learned from Roald Dahl:

• Humor points out the truth but in a subtle way.

• It appeals to kids.

• It is good for the soul. (And there is a lot of research that it is good for our health, too.)

 

Imagination/Fantasy:

 

 

I loved the Narnia series as a kid, but I thought I didn't like other fantasy until I started writing it. My biggest struggle with fantasy is world-building and internal logic. My first attempt at a novel was a portal fantasy, and although it is littered with issues, I still want to go back and revise it. And then because of Gail Carson Levine, I have a soft spot for fairy tale re-imaginings. Someday!

 

 What I learned from C.S. Lewis and Gail Carson Levine (whom I discovered as adult):

• I like fantasy grounded in reality.

• Fantasy can be a portal (pun intended!) for teaching truth about the real world/life.

• The best fantasies have incredible characters, world-building, and all the other elements of a good novel.

What about you? What books inspired you as a child or a teen? 

If you'd like to read more ISWG posts or sign up, please go HERE. You won't be disappointed.