AmeriCorps: my take on what it is and why you should support it

... regardless of your political leanings.

First I will say, I am somewhat ignorant when it comes to politics, I know enough to know I am not democrat or republican, because both sides support things I do not really support and/or ignore things that I think should not be ignored. I say this as kind a scapegoat, because I do not identify with a particular party, and am a little ignorant when it comes to things political, I am not aware of or do not notice any political issues attached to the thing which is AmeriCorps. From my perspective, because of the wind array of programs and non-profits AmeriCorps is involved in, it transcends party lines. This is not to say certain programs and non-profits which have AmeriCorps volunteers are not political or are not “left” or “right,” some programs are very much those things, but there are “left” programs as well as “right” ones and ones that may identify mostly with republican ideals and those who identify with the ideals of the democrat.

Alright, enough of political mumblings. My “credentials” as someone whom can speak of AmeriCorps, I was a part of the Emergency Response Team at AmeriCorps Saint Louis for an 11 month term starting in September of 2010. In this program I served over 2000 hours of national service doing conservation work, wildfire fighting, and disaster relief. Since then, I have periodically researched many AmeriCorps programs, because I wanted to serve another year, and have almost served a second term twice. I was unable to serve with both because the non-profits had funding issues which caused them no longer be able to have AmeriCorps volunteers.

People oftentimes most simply explain what AmeriCorps is by saying “It's like a domestic Peace Corps,” and sometimes if I know the people asking are not that interested, I will say this, too. But, honestly, I don't know enough about the Peace Corps to really compare the two. I think the most clear, yet simple, explanation is: AmeriCorps is a program which essentially provides modestly paid internships working with non-profits and public agencies, which, in turn, provides those non-profits and agencies with much needed free or partially free labor. I will go into more detail about what AmeriCorps is about in the following paragraphs and, while doing that, tried to convey why I think AmeriCorps is important to all of us.

This is very much as outsiders view, but from what I have learned from public school teachers and researching various teaching techniques, our public schools are less and less providing opportunities for experiential learning; which is one reason I think AmeriCorps is becoming increasingly important, because many of the programs are essentially one long hands-on learning experience consisting of structured training and direct application of learned skills and ideas. Through the program you choose, you can also gain exposure to a wide variety of fields to see if you are interested in pursuing them as a career, they allow you to make connections in those fields, and gain valuable experience, which can then help you break into the workforce in those areas. The program I was a part of granted me exposure to three career paths I thought I may be interested in pursuing, and allowed me to rule them out for various reasons without first having gone to school for a number of years specifically for those paths, only to find I could not or did not want to pursue them.

For those who are opposed to illegal immigrants receiving so many of the same advantages citizens receive, AmeriCorps will appeal to you in that it requires that you are a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or lawful permanent resident to join. At the same time, for those who love the fact that America is a mixing pot of different nationalities, it also fosters diversity and understanding. The program I was with had a few first generation Americans and people with many different cultural heritages and backgrounds.

I know some people feel that the government gives too many “hand-outs” while others feel our government isn't doing enough to help those in need. This is yet another area where both types should feel they can support AmeriCorps, because though it does provide many goods and services through the programs it is associated with, many programs are also very focused on educating those who are largely dependent. Some programs strive to teach healthy eating (so they better use the food benefits they have) and try to develop and encourage community gardens so people can grow some of their own food. Other programs teach literacy, life skills, and many other things. In other words, though some programs are giving hand-outs, they or others are also striving to give the dependent the skills they need to be less dependent, or at least to be more responsible with that they are receiving.

AmeriCorps is also about developing leaders. I earlier compared service with AmeriCorps to an internship, but do not get the idea that they are just gophers doing mundane tasks. Within my program, at the Joplin, MO tornado we had a couple members who were put in charge with developing a missing persons' database, one put in charge of the volunteer reception center that dealt with thousands of volunteers, another who was largely in charge of coordinating the fieldwork of many of those volunteers, and other members deeply involved with key components of disaster relief. When our crew was on a wildfire in MO or IL, we were treated much the same as the other wildfire fighters and had as much responsibility in controlling the blaze as others. I do have to admit, MO and IL fires are not as intense or vast as Western fires, but we were considered a national resource that could respond to those fires as well, if need be.

The leadership structure in my program was particularly designed to develop leaders; we had groups of 5 or 10 which would go out for a week or two at a time to do conservation work and, once us “first-years” were established, different ones of us were given the responsibility of leading these groups. This gave us the unique opportunity to be lead by some of our teammates and then later lead those same teammates, giving us a chance to see different group dynamics, to learn about ourselves and each other. I learned about myself that I do not really like to be the leader, but I do like to be in an advisory role close to the leader, calling their attention to areas or factors they may not have noticed and helping them to work through problems.

From looking at the position descriptions of other programs and talking to various non-profits about those programs, I know many others, besides the program I was a part of, also have a focus on developing leaders.

Finally, AmeriCorps is about making responsible, service minded, citizens who are involved in the welfare of their community, their environment, and their world. Many AmeriCorps alumni go into public service jobs and continue to volunteer in their communities.

I will finish by saying, it is true I was only a part of one AmeriCorps program, so I am taking liberties talking about the good of the others. I know there is probably waste, that some programs do not use their volunteers well, and that some people who volunteer to do AmeriCorps may not be serious about it and so waste resources. But I will also say, during my time of service, I came in contact with quite a few other AmeriCorps programs and, while some individuals were not hardworking, many of them were. Also, since my term of service, I have researched quite a few non-profits and something I repeatedly come across is that some of their staff inevitably were a part of AmeriCorps in the past.

What do I want you to do with this information? I'm not sure. I just want you to have it and, if you ever hear that the program is being done away with, keep in mind that in its 20 years of existence “more than 800,000 AmeriCorps members have contributed more than 1 billion hours in service across America.”* This is service to non-profits, schools, public agencies, community and faith-based groups; this is service to our citizens; this is service to our future.

I will end with the AmeriCorps pledge:

I will get things done for America - to make our people safer, smarter, and healthier.

I will bring Americans together to strengthen our communities.

Faced with apathy, I will take action.

Faced with conflict, I will seek common ground.

Faced with adversity, I will persevere.

I will carry this commitment with me this year and beyond.

I am an AmeriCorps member, and I will get things done.

*Taken from the AmeriCorps website.

Harry Potter, adults, and love

I definitely don't want to just wrote one book review for the whole Harry Potter series, because I feel they deserve more than that, so I'll just write about a particular thing relating to the series having to do with one of the reasons I enjoy it so much. Actually, a couple things, another thing just occurred to me.

I enjoy reading/listening to young adults books, I really do, but one thing I don't like about most of them is the fact that they almost always make out adults to be dumb or to be mistrusted. I suppose this is just catering to the fact that most of the audience are teenagers, so maybe this is how they feel toward/about adults, but you don't have to do so much to reinforce these feelings.

In contrast, though in the Harry Potter series there are a lot of awful adults (Voldemort, Harry's aunt and uncle, Bellatrix, etc., etc.), there's also Mr. and Mrs. Weasley (with their fierce love for a boy not their own), Mrs. McGonnegel (with her strict but loyal heart), Dumbeldore (with his trust and belief in Harry and his abilities), Haggrid (with, well everything that makes up Haggrid), Professor Lupin (with his patient wisdom), and some others as well. Harry sneaks around, gets into trouble, goes where he shouldn't go, and sometimes the adults don't trust him with as much information as they should, but there are adults that he can depend on, that he can ask advice to (if he's willing to ask), people who are proud of him, and want what's best for him. There are adults who love him and he loves them back.

The other thing I love about the series is that, as much as it promotes Harry being an independent and strong person, it also very deeply promotes friendship, companionship and love and, also, being willing to accept help from friends. As much as Harry so often wants to go out on his own, he has friends who are determined that he shouldn't have to face those trials by himself. That's one of the biggest differences between Voldemort and Harry, Harry has the ability to have loving connections with people. Ruthless people always seem to think (at least in fiction) love makes you weak, it is true that it gives you some weaknesses, some new ways in which others (those loved and enemies) can hurt you, but it can also give and lend strength. Love can give you allies whom you can trust far more than the trust you can have with allies who are ruled by fear.

On a side note, I wish the friendship trio would have been better friends with Luna Lovegood. I love her and wish I could have her as one of my friends, oddball though she is, or maybe mostly because she's such an oddball...but she's so loyal and wise (when she's not completely mad). I also would have liked to get to know Ginny and Neville better, especially since Neville comes close to being one of my very favorite male characters in literature. I love how he grows and changes.

I will end by saying, I know because they have been out for so long there's really no need to write reviews on any of them, but I still think I want to the next time I read the series. If you haven't read them, I encourage you to do so. I mentioned this in another review but, for the most part, the series gets better and better as it goes along. If you read the first one and think it's too amateurish and beneath your “reading level,” keep in mind the series kind of grows up as Harry does. This is also something to keep in mind when you recommend these to a kid/teen, too. When the series was first written, it was perfect, the kids who read and loved the first book developed as the series developed/was published but now, well, even though the first one is okay for a 10-year-old to read, it may not be okay for them to read the last few. The last few get into some pretty heavy stuff, have more detailed violence and death, and are just a little more “grown-up.”

To the Mothers of Superheroes

I know it's difficult to be any type of mom, so it must be super difficult to be a mother of a superhero because they have superpowers and, as is unfortunately always paired with superpowers, they have super obstacles and supervillains they must face and overcome. Some of these children have the potential to someday become supervillains themselves, if they store up bitterness and hate, but from what I have seen of you, dear mothers, you are raising them in such a way that goodness and greatness are, by far, the most likely outcome.

I know oftentimes you don't want your kid to be different, to stand out, to draw eyes and attention, but you see, that's part of their superpowers. Other kids may occasionally attract attention, but in a crowd most kids go unnoticed and, because of this, most kids have to wait until they're grown up before they make a big impact. Most kids yell, “Look at me and what I can do with my superpower” and, even if they actually have one, not many people see. But your kids, your superheroes, almost from the moment they were born have inspired and impacted.

I know you already know your children's superpowers, but in case you forgot or in case some who read this don't know what they are, I'll just share a few. Because of the many eyes on them, your child's smile has incredible power. Your child's smile also has incredible power because of the many obstacles they face, when they smile people know it is genuine. Whether the challenges your little superhero face are mental or physical, partly because of how you are shaping your child and partly because of how God is shaping them, that little superhero has a superpower's worth of empathy and compassion. I think this can arise from their deep awareness and understanding of their own trials or their innocence or both (or you may have better answers of which I am unaware). Because of the hurdles they face, they have more wisdom than many of us will ever gain. It seems oftentimes your little hero or heroine has an ability to reach through armor no others can breach, to touch the heart and soul that lies hidden beneath, to make a hard and harsh person gentle, to draw out the warmth in a cold person, and to make a friend of the seemingly unloveable. Because your child leaps tall buildings by climbing the four steps to the library, plays a solo concerto by learning to sing “Jesus Loves Me,” and builds the highest skyscraper by tying their shoes, they inspire great acts in others and teach them that they too can fly.*

I know I have only begun to tell of the superpowers some of these little ones possess so, if your are a superhero's mom or, even better, know a superhero, be sure to leave a comment (without identifying details where the superhero may wish to remain anonymous) and, also, be sure to tell them and their parents that you've noticed their superpower and that you think it's pretty cool.

I will end by saying, I didn't know how to fully convey in words what I was feeling and wanted to share through this, it turned out more simple than I would have it to be, but I hope it is enough. Enough to let you know that your child is special, that you are special and that both of you are powerful.

I know I am an outsider, that I can't really understand...so I am sorry if I said something wrong, if I somehow hurt your feelings. Also, I'm not trying to make you feel guilty, that you should feel okay with all of the people who stare because you should be “an inspiration,” some people just stare because they're rude, uninspired people...well, let's not dwell on them. My intention is to uplift and encourage you and to show that I admire you and the hero you are raising.

* In case that was confusing to some: Stairs are Kyptonite to some little superheroes, learning the mentioned song can comparatively be as big an accomplishment as learning to play a solo concerto, and, well, everyone knows that for some of us, tying our shoes can be as difficult as building a skyscraper.

P.S. This, of course, all goes for the dads of superheroes, too, but I know a few superhero moms better than I know the dads, so I addressed it to them.

No More Room for Daydreams

I actually wrote most of this a few weeks ago and I just never got around to posting it...

I was vaguely aware of this before I got a smart phone but it has become more apparent to me since I got one a few months ago; there is no more room for daydreams in our technology saturated American world. At work I eat lunch by myself (there are other people working in the room, but I am the only one on lunch) and if I am not actively eating or doing something on my phone, if I am staring into space, someone inevitably asks me if I'm tired or tells me that I look tired. This caused me to think of daydreams in general and the fact that our society may very well now “advertently” or inadvertently frown on this activity. I believe we have come to expect people to always be doing something, on their phone, e-reader, etc., even if they are riding a bus or a subway or waiting for their lunch break to be over. We think it odd if someone is just sitting there “not doing anything.”

Before I go on, I have to be a little confessional so people will not think me too judgmental, or maybe I will be too judgmental, but I am including myself in the judgment. I waste a lot of time on the internet, with unlimited access to (some of the time correct) information, I choose to look at Failblog and on-line comics.

Saying that, there is something to be said about being drawn out of our selves and exposed to new ideas and information, it keeps our ideas from getting locked in place, our thoughts going in circles, and our dreams running into dead ends because we cannot see beyond a certain thought we have; but when all this outside “information,” all this stimuli, involving singing cats, angry birds, and dancing dogs, it is not enriching our dreams and developing our ideas, but distracting us from potential dreams and ideas. In the constant bombardment of outside stimuli, our fragile dreams are chased away, our unformed ideas float away as mist, and the echoes of our hopes cannot be heard.

When someone is staring into space or even staring at (through) you, they may be a million miles away, may be “building a castle in the air,” imagining a reunion with a long-lost friend, working out a detail of a masterpiece story, or developing a cure for a disease. Regardless of what's going on behind their eyes, do not rush to judgment, thinking they are strange because they aren't “doing anything.” In fact, I encourage you to put your phone down and sometimes “do nothing,” too. Also, it's an interesting REAL world out there, full of unique sights, sounds, and people. I absolutely love photography, but actually seeing a sunset, a beautiful flower, or a lovely friend, is much better than seeing an instagram picture of it or them. That's another reason to put down what you're holding, listening to, or looking at.

On a side-note, there used to be more activities during which you could be “doing something” and still have room in your head for dreams at the same time. Some things that come to mind are knitting, milking a cow, whittling, washing dishes, etc. Another side-note, it seems more culturally acceptable to “stare into the fire” than to stare at/through anything else, maybe that is one reason we enjoy campfires so much, they give us an excuse to dream in an environment that is often free of most modern disractions.

Book Review for The Worthing Saga by Orson Scott Card

Jason Worthing comes from a planet totally covered over with steel, where the elite take a drug that causes them to sleep agelessly for years at a time, “skipping through time as a stone skips over water,” so they can pretend to live forever. Lared comes from a planet roughly technologically similar to medieval times, a planet that until recently, until the Day of Pain, did not have true pain, fresh grief, or accidents with consequences.

Throughout time some have thought Jason was a god, after all, he came out of the starship which brought forth man, animals, and crops. He came from the heavens and walked on water, along with his companion, Justice. But really Jason is only a man. True, he is a man who reads minds and memories so thoroughly that he sometimes confuses others memories with his own, but he is still just a man. Lared is just a boy, a boy who helps around the farm, but he can read and write. He can receive dreams and can tell a story.

Jason needs someone through whom his story can be told, Lared is chosen because through his mostly unlearned quill, the story will be simple and, hopefully, have the simple ring of truth. Jason needs to explain why the Day of Pain occurred on this and every world and what his part in the story was.

Lared is becoming a man and, in this new world which contains pain, that means more in more ways than it ever has before.

What is it about? It is science fiction and also somewhat fantasy. It is about growing up, memories, defining moments, pain and joy and sorrow. I think it is most deeply a philosophical book. It is a book which seeks to answer why some pain occurs; why grief, betrayal, and want can be a blessing. It strives to show how living one day at a time, instead of trying so hard to live forever, is really the best way, because it is lived side by side with others that we love.

It is a little slow at times but it is also really and truly interesting. Also, some of it is quite thought provoking. Though it certainly doesn't make sense of all pain, suffering, and hardship; it does, perhaps, make sense of some and seeks to explain why a god would allow these things to come to man.

I would rate it a strong PG-13 or maybe an R for violence, gore, sexual content (it doesn't go into details), and tough subject matter.

Book Review for the Anne of Green Gables Series

I think I've decided that, for the most part, when I review a book from a series (at least those that are from series in which all the books have already been published), I will review the series as a whole instead of the books individually. In the case of the Anne books, I almost feel like this is a betrayal of sorts because this is one of my very favorite series and Anne is my favorite female literary character. I know some may laugh at my so loving Anne, saying she is not a tremendously complex character or a brilliant literary creation but, frankly, I am more than a little in love with her and would marry her if I could (for those of you who don't know, the series follows her into adulthood).

What they're about: kindred spirits, love, bosom friends, imagination, simple joys, loss, life's little adventures, scrapes (the predicament kind), humor, stubbornness, love's softening nature, orphans, building “castles in the sky” and how sometimes our dreams change and are fulfilled in ways we didn't expect. They are about changing your expectations about your life, being willing and open enough to other people that you are able to change your expectations about them as well. They are about growing up, becoming more somber, but maintaining the dancing laughter behind your eyes...and sometimes still dancing and frolicking when you are by yourself or with kindred spirits.

We first meet Anne (spelled with an “e” because it's not as plain that way) as an unloved, skinny, poorly dressed orphan who can talk a mile a minute, has an imagination to be proud of, and eyes filled with the stars. The old bachelor, Matthew, and his bachelorette sister, Marilla, sent for a little boy, not a little girl but as they slowly come to realize, perhaps it was Providence which interfered to cause this “mistake.” Their busybody, sharp-tongued, kindhearted neighbor, Rachel, would probably say it was foreordained.

So Anne, after having been mistreated, unloved, and just not really having been “brought up” in her earliest years, finds herself in a home which slowly fills with love. Matthew, so shy he is virtually a recluse, is surprised to find he is almost immediately fond of this little chatty creature of an Anne and Anne finds in him, though they are seemingly so different, a “kindred spirit,” a sympathetic listener, and some of the love her heart has so long been neglected. Marilla is all hardness and sharp edges and is, at first, appalled at Anne's almost heathen ways and is almost ashamed at the mirth she experiences because of Anne's impulsive ways; but over time, through softening and development of her sense of humor, Anne finds in Marilla another loyal heart.

Before moving to her new home, Green Gables, Anne has only had a little “mirror girl” and “echo girl” as friends (aka imaginary), though she has always longed for a “bosom friend.” Upon meeting her neighbor, Diana, whose looks personify how Anne herself longs to look, Anne soon has them swear to undying friendship, an oath they keep throughout their lives despite obstacles being put in their way. Diana is a raven-haired, dimply girl, who is sweet as can be and who, though she lacks much imagination, is glad to return Anne's wholehearted love.

And then there's Gilbert, who though he's a handsome, sweet-hearted lad, enjoys teasing the girls. On his first day of meeting Anne, he manages to utter a teasing word which earns him enmity for years to come, despite his wanting to make it up and to be friends.

I suppose I am just covering the first book after all or maybe just introducing the characters. The most important thing to keep in mind is, if you like the first one, don't forget there are more! I believe there are very few series in which the following books are as good as the first, and this is one of those rare series. I deeply enjoy the first one and I deeply enjoy all the others as well. One critic said that the series feels very much like a serial, there are only a few loose threads which run between books, and it feels like there are not many overarching themes, but I have never felt this way. In each book we are introduced to new characters, some old major characters do not play as big a role, and Anne lives in a different place in almost every book...but that is how my life is, I drift from place to place and, except for a central core, the main characters in my life change; maybe that's one reason I so like the series.

Yet another critique some may bring against the series, and I have vaguely thought it myself on occasion, is that there are too many happy coincidences and too much good luck on Anne's part, both in her relationships and circumstances, but to think that is to not learn one of the series' greatest lessons; that hard work, whether it be in life or in relationships, pays off. Anne finds along her way more kind hearts and “kindred spirits” than she originally thought she would, but this is largely because she believes the best of people and works hard to draw their best out, even when it is buried under pain, grumpiness, contrariness, or sorrow. Also, opportunities come her way because she has “gumption” and works very hard for them. Beyond all this, there is perhaps the feeling that God or Providence does guide some things in our life, sometimes he does cause blessings to come our way and wonderful people to cross our paths, especially if we are on the lookout for those blessings and greet them with wonder-filled eyes and open hearts.

This series, more than any other, makes me often tear up with “happy tears,” each book is achingly sweet, though without being cheesy. Also, Anne's and her friends scrapes often make you smile. So if you are a young lady, a woman young at heart, or “of the race of Joseph” (a sensitive soul who loves to dream and cherish books as old friends), I encourage you to read not only the first in this series, but all of them. I think you will far from regret it and will make some new friends.

  P.S. These books were first read aloud to me and my older sisters by my mother and aunt. I think reading aloud, even after children begin to read for themselves, is a wonderful idea. Among other reasons, it allows children to ask questions about any of the issues being dealt with (loss, neglect, adoption, preconceived notions, etc.). Also, I just think it is a wonderful bonding opportunity, something to do as the kids settle down for sleep...and may even help them unwind from this over stimulating world that we now live in.

I would rate this series G maybe verging on PG. The PG would be because some of them deal with loss and death. Also, though Anne does not directly speak it, she hints at having been hit by one of the men (an alcoholic) who was the father in one of her earliest “homes.”

Some Non-book Reviews or Book Non-reviews?

I have discovered one of my weaknesses as a book reviewer and it is a fairly major one, I only review books I really like because I do not care enough for the books I disliked to write about them. To make up for this deficiency, here a some “non-reviews”...I suppose they are still reviews, but they will be very short and a little vague.

Firstly I will say, thanks to my new job and the fact that I am tucked back in a corner and rarely disturbed, I am free to listen to audiobooks (while working, of course) most of the day. In the past two weeks I have listened to 5 of them.

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers. It has been years since I read this book, but it is still strongly in my mind as one of my least favorite books ever. Perhaps my dislike is somewhat misplaced because I dislike it almost entirely because the people, in their relating to the main character (a mute), or, more accurately, their lack of relating to him, are so thoughtless as to his needs. But the world is sometimes cruel and people often don't seek to understand and put effort into their relationships. So though this book may have conveyed some truth about the cruel aspects of our world, I did not like it because it left me with a very “bitter taste” in my mouth and I do not think I will ever read it again.I do not remember this one clearly enough to give it a content rating.

Another very unenjoyable book was Toilers of the Sea. Now, despite their tediousness (I refuse to read abridged books) and, in The Hunchback of Notre Dame's case, lack of a happy ending, I very much enjoyed Les Mis. and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The Toilers of the Sea is just as tedious or more so than the aforementioned books but has an ending leaving you feeling there is a pointlessness to life, a belief in broken promises, true love fought for does not win (okay, the love was a little one-sided, so it could be viewed more as an obsession than love), and just with an overall bad feeling. Apparently Hugo was in exile while writing this book, so maybe that was one reason for it unredeeming tragedy. I do not remember this one, either, well enough to give a content rating.

Recent audiobooks listened to which I will not be writing full-length book reviews of: Treason by Orson Scott Card and House of Dark Shadows by Robert Liparulo.

I suppose, taken on its own Treason is actually a decent book, it's quite interesting and original but because Card has written two of my favorite books (Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow), I was expecting more. Treason is a planet seemingly without any hard metals (thus the treasonous cannot build ships to get off-world) on which The Empire put “the cream of the crop” of humanity because they were seeking to overthrow the established order. After being there for thousands of years some of the families have taken their predecessors gifts to the extreme. The geneticists have engineered a people who can regenerate and recover from almost any wound (to the point where completely chopping off their head or totally burning them is the only sure way to kill them). The geologists have grown to understand things so thoroughly at their most basic levels that they can control earth and DNA with their minds. And others, I'm not sure what their forbearers occupation was, have learned to control the flow of time. I guess one thing I disliked is just that it is a little strange, the main character is a “Rad” (radical regenerate), which means he not only regenerates all his parts but begins to grow others. When we meet him as a late teenager he has begun to grow breasts and soon begins to grow an arm out of his shoulder. As well as being a little odd, besides the main character, you don't really get to know anyone, its a sort of lonely book. The book vaguely reminded me of Dune, so if you liked that then you may like this. As I said, despite its weaknesses, it is quite interesting. 

I would give Treason a rating of PG-13 for violence, sexuality, some language, and disturbing situations.

House of Dark Shadows has the makings of a good juvenile book: mystery, a linen closet which transports you to a school locker, magic doors that lead to other worlds, a bazaar house, a boy determined to right a wrong and, yet, though the end of the first book ended on a cliffhanger, I am not in a hurry to read/listen to the next one. I didn't really get attached to the characters, didn't really become invested in their adventures, I suppose those are its greatest downfalls, and those are some major downfalls to have. 

I would rate this PG for violence and disturbing situations.