Bone volume 2: The Great Cow Race by Jeff Smith

Synopsis: The Bone brothers were reunited at the end of volume one, and at the beginning of this one, they are about to hit the road back to Boneville. However, Phoney Bone gets into trouble again by trying to scam the villagers in the Great Cow Race. Mixed up in all of this, of course, are the rat creatures, who are still looking for Phoney Bone. A few more mysteries are revealed about Rose and her granddaughter, Thorn, which make one suspect that there is more to Thorn than is immediately evident.

Rating: Pure genius. I nominate Jeff Smith for a Nobel.

Opinion: Jeff Smith is a genius of comedic timing; of mystery to keep the interest; and of – not to mention – the pure beauty and charm of the illustrations. When Fone Bone climbs the tree to get a honey comb for Thorn and discovers the giant bee guarding the bee hive, I laughed out loud (it doesn’t sound funny when I describe it, but trust me, it is!). The two rat creatures that keep arguing about quiches are back and just as hilarious. I adore this series so much that I think I may have to buy it.

The Nannies by Melody Mayer

Synopsis: Kiley, Lydia, and Esme are three very different girls who end up being nannies (surprise!) and friends. Kiley is seventeen and on her way to win the latest reality show, Platinum Nanny, the winner of which gets the job of nanny to the children of Platinum, a washed-up rock star. Lydia has just returned from eight years in the Amazon with her do-gooder parents to nanny her nephew and niece. Esme stumbles on a nanny job with her parents’ rich employers because she speaks Spanish fluently; they have just adopted two Spanish orphans. They all feel like a fish out of water in Los Angeles, which draws them together. They further bond when they help Esme out of trouble connected to Hispanic gangs she is peripherally involved with. The ending obviously leaves room for further plot and character development in sequel.

Rating: Moderately amusing.

Opinion: This is a kind of tame wild ride through rich Los Angeles. From the cover, I expected it to be kind of like the Gossip Girls series (which, admittedly, I have not read yet), but it contained less drugs, sex, and rock ‘n roll than I expected. Even though the major plot points were very predictable, it was an entertaining read. Excellent beach reading.

The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine

Synopsis: Princess Addie is timid and depends on her older sister, Meryl, to take care of her. Princess Meryl is brave, bold, and ready to slay dragons when she is old enough. But when the Gray Death infects Meryl, Addie must muster her courage to go out to find a cure in their scary world that contains dragons, ogres, gryphons, and other fantastical creatures.

Rating: Pretty good, but not as good as Levine’s other books.

Opinion: I wasn’t wowed by this book. The characters were nice, and the action moved along pretty well, but I enjoyed Fairest much, much more. This review is short because I really don’t have much to say about it.