 In May 1980, fifteen-year-old boarding school student Oscar Drai vanishes for a week after he meets the beautiful, ethereal Marina and her aged, portrait painter father, German Blau. Oscar and Marina walk to a hidden cemetery in the old Barcelona quarter where they witness a strange ritual. A woman, shrouded in black, places a rose on a grave marked with a black butterfly emblem. The complicated plot evolves as they try to solve this mystery. They unravel thirty years of macabre adventure and tragedy, involving post-WWII high society, a young diva, inventors, and tycoons in Barcelona’s underworld. An enjoyable part of the twisted gothic horror tale is the rich and flowing language describing Barcelona, but because of the disturbing paranormal elements, it is not the sort of book to read before bedtime. mjw |
| Title: Marina Author: Carlos Ruiz Zafon Publisher: Little, Brown and Company Copyright: 2014 Original Language: Spanish Translator: Lucia Graves Original Title: Marina Original Publisher: Edebe, Barcelona Original Copyright: 1999 ISBN: 978-0-316-04471-4 Hardcover pages: 326 Age range: 12 up Genre: Fiction, Mystery Book setting: Barcelona, Spain Author’s ethnicity: Spanish Author’s residence: Spain and U.S. Awards: Author has won Spain’s Edebe Literary Prize for Young Adult Fiction Subjects: Barcelona, History, Mystery, Paranormal, Spain, Supernatural |
Marina
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As a boy, Wu Daozi (689-759), often considered to be China’s greatest painter, was taught calligraphy, but his brush did not cooperate. Instead he painted squiggles, twists, and dots that became butterflies, horses, flowers, and clouds that came to life. People traveled from all over to admire his work. One day, the emperor asked him to paint a mural on the walls of the palace. This masterpiece took years to finish and revolutionized Chinese painting. Ink, watercolor, gouache, and colored pencil illustrations capture the beauty of Chinese art and culture. An author’s note provides background information on Wu Daozi’s life and artistic techniques. mjw
Teenage Veda, who studies classical Indian dance Bharatanatyam, is injured in a car accident and her leg has to be amputated below the knee. She is devastated, but an American doctor understands her love of dance and designs a special prosthetic limb for her. Veda starts dancing all over again. She meets Govinda, a student teacher, who shows her a new way to bring joy to her dancing and who becomes her love interest. This enthralling story of Veda’s journey and of familial relationships in modern India is told in verse that captures the fascination of India. mjw
Ten-year-old Yannick leaves Paris to stay with his aunt and uncle at their inn in Provence. He is excited to go because Provence is where Cezanne, “the greatest painter in the world,” painted his picture. He works in the inn, setting tables, clearing tables, filling carafes of water, and cutting bread. Uncle Bruno teaches him to cook and make chocolate mousse and creme brulee. When a famous painter visits the inn and Yannick accidentally throws the drawing the painter scribbled on the paper tablecloth into the fireplace, he follows him back to his chateau to ask for another drawing. Yannick thinks the artist is Cezanne, but the artist signs another name, Picasso. Soft watercolor illustrations decorate the charming description of the culture of 1960s Provence. mjw
Minnie, a fashionable teacup-sized Chihuahua, is a little dog with big style. She does everything with her owner, Francoise. They like to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower, go to their favorite bistro for lunch, and rice their bicycle in the Jardin du Luxembourg. One day, Minnie is invited to the big Paris fashion show but she gets separated from her owner and lost in the chaos of a busy, noisy runway show. The pampered pup becomes the star of the show when a model wearing a wedding dress picks her up and struts down the runway. The model and Minnie meet the flash of a photographer’s camera at the end of the runway and the photo is published in the newspaper the next day. A gorgeous Paris backdrop and adorable outfits make this beautifully illustrated tale perfect for young girls. cc
Lump and Big Dog do not get along. When Lump gets the opportunity to get a break from Big Dog, he eagerly tags along on a trip to France with his master David. At the villa in France, Lump meets the famous painter, Pablo Picasso, and new playmates, Yan the dog and Esmeralda the goat. Picasso is positively enchanted with Lump, whom he calls Lumpito, the two become soulmates, and Lumpito refuses to leave. This charmingly illustrated book is based on the true story of Picasso’s love for a dachshund named Lumptio who became the subject of countless paintings and drawings. cc
In 1943, when his older brother joins the army, 12 year-old Linus Muller, takes over the delivery job in his family’s grocery store in Manhattan. He befriends an eccentric customer, Mr Orange, who always orders a crate of oranges and is based on the Dutch painter, Piet Mondrian. They discuss the war, music, art, comic books and superheroes, and imagination. This is a first-rate historical novel about the artist and Linus Muller’s changing perception of the war. An afterword offers facts about Mondrian’s work and years in New York City. Further Resources for reading, watching on the Internet, and viewing Mondrian’s art in museums are also included. mjw
This beautifully illustrated picture book brings the lyrics of the 1969 Beatles song to life. Five children go on a magical journey through the playful octopus’s garden. They ride on the backs of turtles, play pirates in an undersea city, swim with a blue whale, and hide in giant whelk shells. The underwater action expresses the joy of discovery and the comfort of friendship. The book comes with a CD that features Ringo reading the story, a new recording of the song, and an instrumental version for children to sing along to. mjw
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