Having now finished Peter and the Starcatchers, I can definitely say it is a terrific children's book. That said, I would definitely make sure that any kids who read the book are familiar with the story of Peter Pan first. The story can stand alone, but it's much more meaningful with the knowledge of things to come in the back of one's mind.

My small complaint with the book is that it rushed the ending somewhat. It felt a little bit like there were a couple of loose ends that Barry and Pearson forgot to tie up so they quickly invented something to explain them away. Even so, the writing is so engaging that the reader is constantly kept immersed in the events unfolding on the page. It's 451 pages long, but it's still a quick read.

Since Kevin Boyle's Arc of Justice was announced as the National Book Award winner in the non-fiction category yesterday, I decided to focus on it first rather than Life on the Outside. Thus far, it's a sobering true story about civil rights (or the lack thereof) in the 1920s. Sadly, I find myself reflecting on the fact that I'm not really sure things have changed so much. Our society just finds it acceptable to show contempt for different segments of the population these days.

And finally, via the Bookslut blog, Knopf will give a select number of readers the opportunity to read and review certain books before they hit stores. To get involved, visit this link.