THE DRAGON OF LONELY ISLAND -- Rebecca Rupp

Candlewick Press -- tpb
Cambridge, MA -- ©1998 -- 160pp
ISBN: 0-7636-1661-3

Three children meet a three-headed dragon on their aunt's remote island, off the coast of Maine.

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I really wanted to like this book. It had the look and intrigue of a magical book of adventure. Instead, I found it to be sorely lacking.

One would expect that a children's book with a dragon would have a high level of adventure, but this is not the case. Instead, the three children discover the dragon in a cave, but each time the children visit, only one of the three heads is awake. That head tells a story of its past. Therefore, the only actual adventure is TOLD to the reader, through the dragon, rather than experienced by the children in the book.

The book is simple in scope and "quiet," but it lacks for story and adventure.

Sadly, a book to ignore.

THE LAND OF OZ -- L. Frank Baum

AERIE Books -- pb
? -- ? -- 178pp
ISBN: 1-55902-989-7

In which the young boy, Tip, runs away from the witch, Old Mombi, saves the Emerald City from an army of girls, restores the Emerald City with the rightful ruler, journeys the Land of Oz with the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman and his own creations, Jack Pumpkinhead and the Saw Horse, and the Wogglebug and the Gump.

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First, the edition of this book is somewhat odd. I purchased it on eBay, not knowing what edition I was getting. It turns out to be a books from Wal-Mart (printed right on the cover on what appears to be a large orange sticker, but is actually part of the printing. There is absolutely no publishing or copyright information inside the book. Doing an ISBN search on both Amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com bring up Oz books, but different Oz books on each site, neither being the one I currently posess.

The book definitely suffers from the usual second book syndrome. Trying to recreate the magic of the first book, by altering just a few things. Keeping a few of the characters from the original book as a tie to the story's roots, Baum places a boy in the main role (Tip) instead of the girl, Dorothy. Jack Pumpkinhead replaces the Scarecrow as the "idiot" for whom everything needs explaining.

I've been reading this aloud to my boys at bed-time, and they've been enjoying it, remembering even minor details, even if we happen to have a week between nights that I read. From their point of view, it's a wonderful story and certainly had them engaged, even though some of the language was hard to follow.

I've enjoyed reading it because I've never read anything but the first in the series. We will read more of the Baum Oz books, but I will read something else in bewteen Oz stories.

While I didn't necessarily care for the story so much, I will say that the characters and interactions between characters was so incredibly different from anything else I've read. Perhaps that's why the boys have been enjoying it as much as they have. Even Harry Potter doesn't compare to absurdities and uniqueness in these Oz books.

Although I've had some fun reading this, I can't exactly give it a recommendation. It's just a bit too slow and with no real plot.

SPY HIGH: MISSION ONE -- A.J. Butcher

Little, Brown and Company -- tpb
New York -- ©2003 -- 214pp
ISBN: 0-316-15587-x

Six high-school-aged students are recruited by a top secret "spy school" to form "Bond Team." Their first "assignment" is learn to work as a team -- an assignment that proves harder to manage than it first appears.

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I bought this book a few years ago, wondering if it would be appropriate for my children who are going through a "spy" stage in their play and reading. Sadly, the answer is, "no."

The writing itself is very typical YA fare -- nothing outstanding, nothing too deep or difficult, but it doesn't talk "down" to an average reader either.

However, the book suffers from a lack of focus for its intended audience. The relationships, the blood and gore, death, age of the main characters, etc., speak to a high school readership. But the hackneyed plotting, use of stock "bad guy" characters speak to a younger audience that aren't as familiar with the over-use of these characters.

Not recommended for any aged reader.

GREAT RIVER REVIEW -- Fall/Winter 2003

Anderson Center for Interdisciplinary Studies -- tpb
Red Wing, MN -- ©2003 -- 94pp
ISBN: 1-884102-14-x
Editors: Richard Broderick, Robert Hedin
#39
Cover Illustration: "St. Croix River Series: Upper Marsh, Looking West from William O'Brien State Park" by Perry Ingli

A magazine with essays, poetry, and fiction by: Lucian Vasiliu, Ephraim Glaser, John Minczeski, James Gurley, Katharine Jager, Julie Suk, Richard Robbins, Patricia Gordon Russell, Catullus, Jim Daniels, David Lloyd, Rene Char, Jim Barnes, Dixie Salazar, James P. Lenfestey, Wayne Johnson, Thomas R. Smith, Dave Johnson, Frank Eustis, Mark Neely, Michael Walsh, Terry Savoie, Joe Paddock, Carol Pearce Bjorlie, Tracy Sitterly, Claude Clayton Smith

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For the most part, I really enjoyed this issue (though there is still much more poetry than I care for). Of the longer works, "The Necessity of Returning" by Ephraim Glaser had me totally engaged in his life. "The Last Resort" by Patricia Gordon Russell was interesting and well-written (and thematically tied well with Glaser's memoir), but it didn't go anywhere and was left with the feeling of, "So?"

Wayne Johnson's, "Rhubarb" was just plain fun and a delight to read. The selection from "Lapping America: An Interstate Odyssey" by Claude Clayton Smith was very interesting, and an interesting premise, but I felt as though Clayton was the wrong person to take the odyssey. He came across as rather self-absorbed and not at all open to seeing and learning on his journey.

I never feel qualified to comment on the poetry. i don't care for poetry, 90% of the time. I find passages like "Poplar shed their ice in the windows/of the darkened homeless shelter" to be completely pointless. This passage doesn't even bring an image to mind. (I use this example because I actually liked another poem "Seven" by the same poet.)

It is because I don't care for reading poetry that I stopped subscribing to Great River Review many years ago. I am glad that a nearby library carries these back issues so that I can read the longer works. This issue made for interesting and engaging reading.

GREAT RIVER REVIEW -- Spring/Summer 2006

Anderson Center for Interdisciplinary Studies -- tpb
Red Wing, MN -- ©2006 -- 119pp
ISBN: 1-884102-20-4

#44
Editorial Staff: Richard Broderick, Robert Hedin
Cover Illustration: Ann Jenkins - "Building in Fog"

Essays, poetry, and fiction by: Christopher Dickey, Leslie Adrienne Miller, Stanley Plumly, Jane Hirshfield, Anthony Bukoski, John Balaban, Naomi Shihab Nye, Georges Godeau, Dorianne Laux, Jean Nordhaus, Yehuda Amichal, Dalia Rabikovitz, Arych Sachs, Judith Kitchen, Marvin Bell, Roger Parish, Grete Tartier, Drake Hokanson, Max Garland, Gabriel Fried, Linda Pastan, Colette Inez, Barbara Paparazzo

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This mostly an uninteresting assortment. The first essay, "Firebombings: From My Father's Wars to Mine" by Christopher Dickey was interesting, though it isn't likely to stay with me too long.

And while I generally don't care at all for poetry, the best part of this issue was the found poetry by Roger Parish, "Three Greek Epitaphs."

I'm glad this was in the library. It wasn't worth buying, though I like to support the small press magazines.

THE GEESE FLY HIGH -- Florence Page Jaques

THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA PRESS -- hc
Minneapolis -- ©1939; second printing 1964 -- 102pp
illustrated by Francis Lee Jaques

An account of a winter vacation down the Mississippi River in the Arkansas and Louisiana backwaters.

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The only reason to own this book is for the splendid black and white drawings of Francis Lee Jaques. Certainly it is why I bought it. The Jaques' had quite a reputation for their outdoor/nature writings and drawings, but Florence's writing, memoirs, seems so simple and unexciting. Whereas Francis' drawings still shine magnificently. No one has been able to match his work even today.

From the writing, I mostly got that Florence felt she was in over her head, and didn't like being left alone on backwater islands while Francis and a guide would take off in the canoe to search for ducks.

If you happen to see this book, it is well worth your time to thumb through it and admire the great pen and ink drawing work.