Author: Laura Amy Schlitz
Illustrator: Robert Byrd
Year: 2007
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Pages: 85
Reading Level: Intermediate (ages 9-12—written for 10-15 year-olds to perform)
Awards: 2008 Newbery Award
Genre: Plays, Monologues
Location: An Un-named English Medieval Village
Time Period: Medieval Times (1255 A.D.)
Plot: 22 monologues/short plays of different characters who would have lived on the grounds of an English manor in 1255 A.D. The plays are set up to tell the stories of children in all social stations in the village, from the Lord’s nephew and daughter to the tradesmen’s children to the falconer to the villein (local peasant) to the traveling beggar, to the Jewish money lender.
Comments: This is an interesting book. Although it won the 2008 Newbery Award, this book doesn’t have a solid narrative or a plot. While some of the plays intertwine with others, most of them do not. Despite this, it is fairly well written. Each play is interesting, and the characters do come to life in each monologue. I especially appreciated the footnotes, which explained Medieval words that we do not use today. There are also brief sections that explain important facts about the time period (such as a description of the Crusades or a description of why Jews were money lenders). This book takes an interesting approach to teaching children about Medieval times that I haven’t seen before.
Red Flags: None
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Beauty and the Beast
Author: Nancy Willard
Illustrator: Barry Moser
Year: 1992
Publisher: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
Pages: 67
Reading Level: Intermediate (ages 9-12)
Genre: Fairy Tale (Beauty and the Beast)/Picture Book
Series Information: not part of a series
Location: Hudson River Valley, New York
Time Period: Early 1900s
Plot: This version of Beauty and the Beast sticks pretty closely to the original, with the main difference being that the story takes place in the backwoods of New York in the 1900s instead of at an earlier time in Europe. It also ends slightly differently, by punishing Beauty's conniving sisters: they are turned into sculpted andirons (fireplace tools).
Comments: The story is fairly well told, but I would not consider this a good version to use when telling small children the story. While Moser’s woodcuts are beautiful, they are not included on every page, and often show black and white portraits of the characters instead of depicting the action on the facing page. The setup of the book is more like a chapter book that is the size of a picture book. The only color included in the book is the fancy red capitalized letters found at the beginning of each chapter.
Red Flags: None
Illustrator: Barry Moser
Year: 1992
Publisher: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
Pages: 67
Reading Level: Intermediate (ages 9-12)
Genre: Fairy Tale (Beauty and the Beast)/Picture Book
Series Information: not part of a series
Location: Hudson River Valley, New York
Time Period: Early 1900s
Plot: This version of Beauty and the Beast sticks pretty closely to the original, with the main difference being that the story takes place in the backwoods of New York in the 1900s instead of at an earlier time in Europe. It also ends slightly differently, by punishing Beauty's conniving sisters: they are turned into sculpted andirons (fireplace tools).
Comments: The story is fairly well told, but I would not consider this a good version to use when telling small children the story. While Moser’s woodcuts are beautiful, they are not included on every page, and often show black and white portraits of the characters instead of depicting the action on the facing page. The setup of the book is more like a chapter book that is the size of a picture book. The only color included in the book is the fancy red capitalized letters found at the beginning of each chapter.
Red Flags: None
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing
Author: Judy Blume
Year: 1972
Publisher: Puffin Books
Pages: 110
Reading Level: Intermediate (ages 9-12)
Genre: Realistic/Comedy
Series Information: The first book of the Fudge series
Location: New York, Manhattan
Time period: Present Day (1970s)
Plot: Peter Hatcher’s little brother, Fudge, is always getting into trouble. Peter’s parents rely on him to help with his younger brother so much that Peter wonders if they keep him around just because he can help them control the feisty three year-old. SPOILER! Peter’s patience is tested to the limit when Fudge eats Peter’s pet turtle, Dribble.
Comments: This was a fun book to read. It was funny and lighthearted, but it still dealt with issues that are sure to trouble older children. How does one reconcile their needs for attention and love when they have a younger sibling who seems to require it more? Does the fact that the younger siblings get more attention mean that the older child is no longer wanted? While these can be tough issues, the book’s light-hearted tone will keep children reading to see what hijinks Fudge will get himself into next. The story is less plot-driven than one would expect. Each chapter is really a different example of how Fudge acts up, with the last chapter culminating in Fudge’s most insane act of all when he swallows Peter’s pet turtle, Dribble.
Red Flags: General overacting by Fudge, including a “flying” episode in which teeth are lost, and of course the famous swallowing of a turtle.
Year: 1972
Publisher: Puffin Books
Pages: 110
Reading Level: Intermediate (ages 9-12)
Genre: Realistic/Comedy
Series Information: The first book of the Fudge series
Location: New York, Manhattan
Time period: Present Day (1970s)
Plot: Peter Hatcher’s little brother, Fudge, is always getting into trouble. Peter’s parents rely on him to help with his younger brother so much that Peter wonders if they keep him around just because he can help them control the feisty three year-old. SPOILER! Peter’s patience is tested to the limit when Fudge eats Peter’s pet turtle, Dribble.
Comments: This was a fun book to read. It was funny and lighthearted, but it still dealt with issues that are sure to trouble older children. How does one reconcile their needs for attention and love when they have a younger sibling who seems to require it more? Does the fact that the younger siblings get more attention mean that the older child is no longer wanted? While these can be tough issues, the book’s light-hearted tone will keep children reading to see what hijinks Fudge will get himself into next. The story is less plot-driven than one would expect. Each chapter is really a different example of how Fudge acts up, with the last chapter culminating in Fudge’s most insane act of all when he swallows Peter’s pet turtle, Dribble.
Red Flags: General overacting by Fudge, including a “flying” episode in which teeth are lost, and of course the famous swallowing of a turtle.
The Name of this Book is Secret
Author: Pseudonymous Bosch
Year: 2007
Publisher: Little, Brown and Co.
Pages: 360
Reading Level: Intermediate (ages 9-12)
Genre: Mystery/Adventure
Series Information: First book in the Secret series
Location: Anytown, USA
Time period: Present Day (2007)
Plot: When Cass and Max-Ernest find the hidden papers of a magician who has died unexpectedly, they decide it is up to them to find out what happened. Although unable to prove anything, Cass and Max-Ernest suspect that the magician’s unlikely demise is related to the appearance of two odd people in the town: Dr. L and Ms. Mauvais. When a fellow schoolmate, Benjamin Blake, disappears in a similarly odd manner, it is up to Cass and Max-Ernest to save Benjamin and stop Dr. L and Ms. Mauvais in their evil schemes before it is too late.
Comments: The writing style of this book actually reminded me a lot of the Series of Unfortunate Events books. The book is written in the voice of a third person narrator who constantly interjects his opinions in the book, mainly doing so to warn the reader that a particularly dastardly deed is about to happen and the reader should just stop reading now before it is too late. The narrator’s warnings actually help keep a light tone to the book, though, and I found it easy to read. Besides being a mystery, this book is also appealing because it deals with children who feel it is up to them to save the world since the grown-ups don’t believe what is happening. The book also has a message about the importance of friendship and teamwork.
Red Flags: SPOILER! The villains of the book are actually hundreds of years old. They stay alive through drinking a magic elixir. The villains also torture Benjamin, and discuss performing a lobotomy on both him and Max-Ernest, but the discussion is not graphic.
Year: 2007
Publisher: Little, Brown and Co.
Pages: 360
Reading Level: Intermediate (ages 9-12)
Genre: Mystery/Adventure
Series Information: First book in the Secret series
Location: Anytown, USA
Time period: Present Day (2007)
Plot: When Cass and Max-Ernest find the hidden papers of a magician who has died unexpectedly, they decide it is up to them to find out what happened. Although unable to prove anything, Cass and Max-Ernest suspect that the magician’s unlikely demise is related to the appearance of two odd people in the town: Dr. L and Ms. Mauvais. When a fellow schoolmate, Benjamin Blake, disappears in a similarly odd manner, it is up to Cass and Max-Ernest to save Benjamin and stop Dr. L and Ms. Mauvais in their evil schemes before it is too late.
Comments: The writing style of this book actually reminded me a lot of the Series of Unfortunate Events books. The book is written in the voice of a third person narrator who constantly interjects his opinions in the book, mainly doing so to warn the reader that a particularly dastardly deed is about to happen and the reader should just stop reading now before it is too late. The narrator’s warnings actually help keep a light tone to the book, though, and I found it easy to read. Besides being a mystery, this book is also appealing because it deals with children who feel it is up to them to save the world since the grown-ups don’t believe what is happening. The book also has a message about the importance of friendship and teamwork.
Red Flags: SPOILER! The villains of the book are actually hundreds of years old. They stay alive through drinking a magic elixir. The villains also torture Benjamin, and discuss performing a lobotomy on both him and Max-Ernest, but the discussion is not graphic.
Leven Thumps and the Eyes of the Want
Author: Obert Skye
Year: 2007
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Pages: 406
Reading Level: Intermediate (ages 9-12)
Genre: Fantasy
Series Information: Third book in the Leven Thumps series
Location: Foo, a magical dream world; Oklahoma; Germany
Time period: Present Day (2007)
Plot: On a journey to visit the Want, the ruler of Foo, Leven is separated from his friends, Geth and Winter, and finds himself meeting with the Want alone. There the Want tells Leven that there is a task only Leven can perform in order to save Foo. Apparently the evil dreams of those who live in Reality have seeped into the soil of Foo, causing the very ground of Foo to revolt. It is the ground, also known as the Dearth, that has inspired the villains of the previous two novels, and it is the Dearth that has convinced the inhabitants of Foo to wage a Civil War for the right to enter Reality. Now the Dearth is rising, trying to destroy the Want’s home and take over Foo in an attempt to enter Reality. SPOILER! It is revealed that only Leven can stop the Dearth from its evil plot when Leven discovers that the Want is his grandfather, Hector Thumps, and that the only way he can save Foo is by succeeding his grandfather’s place as the Want.
Comments: Probably the easiest way to describe this book is by comparing the series to the Harry Potter series: Gold embossed cover featuring a teenage boy and magical creatures? Check. Young hero with an odd physical mark who is told that he is the only one who can save the day? Check. Said hero is raised by relatives who consider him to be the bane of their existence? Check. Magical creatures and magical people? Check. Takes place in an odd alternate reality that is supposed to coincide with Reality? Check. Written with a sometimes odd, twisted sense of humor? Check.
While the two series really are alike, there are some major differences that deserve to be noted. Harry Potter is a much darker series with more emphasis placed on the moral that love and friendship can help one win any battle. Leven Thumps is a more light-hearted novel. The narrator has more of a presence in the story, and may be considered to be a character in the book. Most chapters begin with odd anecdotes told by the narrator that have nothing to do with the story. Also, while the chapter headings of Harry Potter include small pictures depicting things that happen in the chapter, entire pages of Leven Thumps are given over to illustration.
Oddly enough, both series work for me. I like the classic fairy tale feel of Harry Potter and the overarching moral. I also enjoy the humor of Leven Thumps. As I read Harry Potter, each installment of the series became my new favorite book. So far I still like the first Leven Thumps book the best, but this one’s not too bad. Of the two, Harry Potter will probably last longer, but I’ll enjoy Leven Thumps as much as I can while it’s around.
Red Flags: descriptions of destruction and mayhem, description of an evil substance taking over a character.
Year: 2007
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Pages: 406
Reading Level: Intermediate (ages 9-12)
Genre: Fantasy
Series Information: Third book in the Leven Thumps series
Location: Foo, a magical dream world; Oklahoma; Germany
Time period: Present Day (2007)
Plot: On a journey to visit the Want, the ruler of Foo, Leven is separated from his friends, Geth and Winter, and finds himself meeting with the Want alone. There the Want tells Leven that there is a task only Leven can perform in order to save Foo. Apparently the evil dreams of those who live in Reality have seeped into the soil of Foo, causing the very ground of Foo to revolt. It is the ground, also known as the Dearth, that has inspired the villains of the previous two novels, and it is the Dearth that has convinced the inhabitants of Foo to wage a Civil War for the right to enter Reality. Now the Dearth is rising, trying to destroy the Want’s home and take over Foo in an attempt to enter Reality. SPOILER! It is revealed that only Leven can stop the Dearth from its evil plot when Leven discovers that the Want is his grandfather, Hector Thumps, and that the only way he can save Foo is by succeeding his grandfather’s place as the Want.
Comments: Probably the easiest way to describe this book is by comparing the series to the Harry Potter series: Gold embossed cover featuring a teenage boy and magical creatures? Check. Young hero with an odd physical mark who is told that he is the only one who can save the day? Check. Said hero is raised by relatives who consider him to be the bane of their existence? Check. Magical creatures and magical people? Check. Takes place in an odd alternate reality that is supposed to coincide with Reality? Check. Written with a sometimes odd, twisted sense of humor? Check.
While the two series really are alike, there are some major differences that deserve to be noted. Harry Potter is a much darker series with more emphasis placed on the moral that love and friendship can help one win any battle. Leven Thumps is a more light-hearted novel. The narrator has more of a presence in the story, and may be considered to be a character in the book. Most chapters begin with odd anecdotes told by the narrator that have nothing to do with the story. Also, while the chapter headings of Harry Potter include small pictures depicting things that happen in the chapter, entire pages of Leven Thumps are given over to illustration.
Oddly enough, both series work for me. I like the classic fairy tale feel of Harry Potter and the overarching moral. I also enjoy the humor of Leven Thumps. As I read Harry Potter, each installment of the series became my new favorite book. So far I still like the first Leven Thumps book the best, but this one’s not too bad. Of the two, Harry Potter will probably last longer, but I’ll enjoy Leven Thumps as much as I can while it’s around.
Red Flags: descriptions of destruction and mayhem, description of an evil substance taking over a character.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Author: Brian Selznick
Year: 2007
Publisher: Scholastic
Pages: 533
Reading Level: Intermediate (ages 9-12)
Awards: 2008 Caldecott Award
Genre: Mystery/Fantasy/Picture/Chapter Book
Series Information: None
Location: Paris, France
Time period: 1931
Plot: Hugo Cabret is an orphan who tries to survive by living in the train station, stealing what he needs from the station shops. In his spare time Hugo works on an automaton his father had found and was putting together before he died. Hugo hopes the automaton carries a message to him from his father. In his quest for parts for the automaton, Hugo meets an eccentric old toy maker, Papa Georges, and his goddaughter Isabel, from whom he learns a lot about magic, mechanics, the first movies, and what it means to have a friend.
Comments: I was very intrigued by the idea behind this book. The book is set up much like a movie, beginning with instructions to the reader to pretend that they are sitting in a theater, waiting for the curtain to go up. After that, the pictures begin. Most books use pictures to give an idea of what the text is saying. This book uses detailed pencil drawings to depict the action of the story, and only uses words when absolutely necessary. For example, instead of saying, “Isabel collided with an old man as she was running across the station,” four pictures show Isabel running into the man and slowly falling to the ground. Instead of being weird, this medium helps move the story along. Since this is a story about the first moving pictures, treating the story as if it is a moving picture itself adds to the ambience and magic of the tale.
Red Flags: Homelessness, nervous breakdowns
Year: 2007
Publisher: Scholastic
Pages: 533
Reading Level: Intermediate (ages 9-12)
Awards: 2008 Caldecott Award
Genre: Mystery/Fantasy/Picture/Chapter Book
Series Information: None
Location: Paris, France
Time period: 1931
Plot: Hugo Cabret is an orphan who tries to survive by living in the train station, stealing what he needs from the station shops. In his spare time Hugo works on an automaton his father had found and was putting together before he died. Hugo hopes the automaton carries a message to him from his father. In his quest for parts for the automaton, Hugo meets an eccentric old toy maker, Papa Georges, and his goddaughter Isabel, from whom he learns a lot about magic, mechanics, the first movies, and what it means to have a friend.
Comments: I was very intrigued by the idea behind this book. The book is set up much like a movie, beginning with instructions to the reader to pretend that they are sitting in a theater, waiting for the curtain to go up. After that, the pictures begin. Most books use pictures to give an idea of what the text is saying. This book uses detailed pencil drawings to depict the action of the story, and only uses words when absolutely necessary. For example, instead of saying, “Isabel collided with an old man as she was running across the station,” four pictures show Isabel running into the man and slowly falling to the ground. Instead of being weird, this medium helps move the story along. Since this is a story about the first moving pictures, treating the story as if it is a moving picture itself adds to the ambience and magic of the tale.
Red Flags: Homelessness, nervous breakdowns
Here's to You, Rachel Robinson
Author: Judy Blume
Year: 1995
Publisher: Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers
Pages: 196
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Series Information: Second book in the As Long As We're Together series
Location: New York and New Jersey
Time period: Present Day (1990s)
Plot: Rachel Robinson, a gifted seventh grader who is struggling to balance school and extracurricular activities, is horrified to find out that her brother Charles, with whom none of the family gets along, has been kicked out of the private boarding school he was sent to and is coming back home. The family seems to walk on pins and needles around Charles, unsure if he will get along with the family or remind them each of their flaws. SPOILER! A sort of truce is found when the family bonds on a trip to Ellis Island.
Comments: I’m not really sure what I think of this book. It brings up some good points and Judy Blume has done a good job depicting each of the characters in the book and the problems they face. This is a very realistic story. My main complaint is that I don’t think this story has a happy ending, or even an ending at all. Although Rachel, Charles, and her father have come to a sort of truce on the trip to Ellis Island, neither Rachel’s mother nor Rachel’s sister are present, which means the family is still going to face problems. Also like in real life, although Charles’ behavior is the main problem of the book, it is revealed that every member of the family is flawed and has issues that they need to overcome. If a real depiction of family life is what the reader is looking for, then this would be a good book to give them. Final grade: B
Red Flags: Brief mention of drug use, sneaking out of the house without parental permission
Year: 1995
Publisher: Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers
Pages: 196
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Series Information: Second book in the As Long As We're Together series
Location: New York and New Jersey
Time period: Present Day (1990s)
Plot: Rachel Robinson, a gifted seventh grader who is struggling to balance school and extracurricular activities, is horrified to find out that her brother Charles, with whom none of the family gets along, has been kicked out of the private boarding school he was sent to and is coming back home. The family seems to walk on pins and needles around Charles, unsure if he will get along with the family or remind them each of their flaws. SPOILER! A sort of truce is found when the family bonds on a trip to Ellis Island.
Comments: I’m not really sure what I think of this book. It brings up some good points and Judy Blume has done a good job depicting each of the characters in the book and the problems they face. This is a very realistic story. My main complaint is that I don’t think this story has a happy ending, or even an ending at all. Although Rachel, Charles, and her father have come to a sort of truce on the trip to Ellis Island, neither Rachel’s mother nor Rachel’s sister are present, which means the family is still going to face problems. Also like in real life, although Charles’ behavior is the main problem of the book, it is revealed that every member of the family is flawed and has issues that they need to overcome. If a real depiction of family life is what the reader is looking for, then this would be a good book to give them. Final grade: B
Red Flags: Brief mention of drug use, sneaking out of the house without parental permission
Gossamer
Author: Lois Lowry
Year: 2006
Publisher: Yearling
Pages: 140
Reading Level: Intermediate (ages 9-12)
Genre: Fantasy
Location: No specific location. Somewhere in America.
Time period: Present Day
Plot: Littlest One and Thin Elderly are dream-givers, shadow-like beings who come into our houses at night. They gather memories from the objects placed around the home and use them to craft happy dreams. When the older woman Littlest One and Thin Elderly are assigned to acts as a foster mother for a young boy whose father was abusive, the dream-givers’ nemesis, the Sinisteeds, come to give the boy nightmares. It is up to Littelest One to save the boy from these dark dreams before they haunt him forever.
Comments: This story is simply told, but it carries a beautiful message: even the littlest and youngest can do great things. We must cling to the happy memories life provides in order to overcome the sad times. Although a fantasy book, this book takes a realistic approach to the problems at hand. The main characters overcome their trials not through magic, but through focusing on the positive.
Red Flags: This book deals with themes of child abuse, foster care, and overcoming hard times.
Year: 2006
Publisher: Yearling
Pages: 140
Reading Level: Intermediate (ages 9-12)
Genre: Fantasy
Location: No specific location. Somewhere in America.
Time period: Present Day
Plot: Littlest One and Thin Elderly are dream-givers, shadow-like beings who come into our houses at night. They gather memories from the objects placed around the home and use them to craft happy dreams. When the older woman Littlest One and Thin Elderly are assigned to acts as a foster mother for a young boy whose father was abusive, the dream-givers’ nemesis, the Sinisteeds, come to give the boy nightmares. It is up to Littelest One to save the boy from these dark dreams before they haunt him forever.
Comments: This story is simply told, but it carries a beautiful message: even the littlest and youngest can do great things. We must cling to the happy memories life provides in order to overcome the sad times. Although a fantasy book, this book takes a realistic approach to the problems at hand. The main characters overcome their trials not through magic, but through focusing on the positive.
Red Flags: This book deals with themes of child abuse, foster care, and overcoming hard times.
Breaking Dawn
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Year: 2008
Publisher: Little Brown
Pages: 760
Reading Level: Young Adult (12 and up)
Genre: Fantasy/Vampire/Young Adult
Series Information: Last book of the Twilight Saga (book #4)
Location: Forks, Washington
Time period: Present Day
Plot: In this last installment of the widely popular Twilight series, Bella Swan and Edward Cullen finally get married. SPOILER!: An unexpected honeymoon pregnancy puts Bella in danger when they find out that the baby is half vampire like Edward, and half human like Bella. In order to survive a hard labor, Bella must become a vampire, violating the treaty between Bella’s new vampire family and the local werewolf pack. The treaty is reinstated when Bella’s longtime werewolf friend (and the alpha leader of the pack), Jacob, imprints on Bella’s new baby daughter, Renesmee. But all is not well yet. The Volturi, the ruling family of the vampires, find out about Renesmee and come to destroy the child, thinking her to be an illegally created vampire baby. The Cullen family and the werewolves must band together once again to confront the Volturi. When the Volturi are finally convinced that Renesmee is harmless, they leave the new family alone, finally able to pursue their own version of happily ever after.
Comments: If I were to grade this book, I would give it a C. When I originally wrote this review a few weeks ago, I gave the reason I have used for every other book in the series: Meyer is a good storyteller, but she's not really a good writer. Also, there were a few elements of the story (for example, the mutant baby named after the Loch Ness Monster) that didn't really sit very well with me. That's not the main point, though. I agree with Publisher's Weekly's criticism of Breaking Dawn: "Essentially, everyone gets everything they want. . . . Nobody has to renounce anything or suffer more than temporarily." This is a good happily ever-after story, but there isn't much in the way of character development or growth.
Red Flags: This book spends a lot of time describing the passion Bella and Edward feel for each other. Although not explicit, the number of love scenes in the book makes it one that I would not recommend to most of the young adult readers (read: 12 year olds) who are fans of the series.
Year: 2008
Publisher: Little Brown
Pages: 760
Reading Level: Young Adult (12 and up)
Genre: Fantasy/Vampire/Young Adult
Series Information: Last book of the Twilight Saga (book #4)
Location: Forks, Washington
Time period: Present Day
Plot: In this last installment of the widely popular Twilight series, Bella Swan and Edward Cullen finally get married. SPOILER!: An unexpected honeymoon pregnancy puts Bella in danger when they find out that the baby is half vampire like Edward, and half human like Bella. In order to survive a hard labor, Bella must become a vampire, violating the treaty between Bella’s new vampire family and the local werewolf pack. The treaty is reinstated when Bella’s longtime werewolf friend (and the alpha leader of the pack), Jacob, imprints on Bella’s new baby daughter, Renesmee. But all is not well yet. The Volturi, the ruling family of the vampires, find out about Renesmee and come to destroy the child, thinking her to be an illegally created vampire baby. The Cullen family and the werewolves must band together once again to confront the Volturi. When the Volturi are finally convinced that Renesmee is harmless, they leave the new family alone, finally able to pursue their own version of happily ever after.
Comments: If I were to grade this book, I would give it a C. When I originally wrote this review a few weeks ago, I gave the reason I have used for every other book in the series: Meyer is a good storyteller, but she's not really a good writer. Also, there were a few elements of the story (for example, the mutant baby named after the Loch Ness Monster) that didn't really sit very well with me. That's not the main point, though. I agree with Publisher's Weekly's criticism of Breaking Dawn: "Essentially, everyone gets everything they want. . . . Nobody has to renounce anything or suffer more than temporarily." This is a good happily ever-after story, but there isn't much in the way of character development or growth.
Red Flags: This book spends a lot of time describing the passion Bella and Edward feel for each other. Although not explicit, the number of love scenes in the book makes it one that I would not recommend to most of the young adult readers (read: 12 year olds) who are fans of the series.
Sticking to the Code
I just realized that I should probably give a few more guidelines before I start adding a bunch of posts about books:
1. Red Flags: Since the books I'm reviewing are Young Adult and children's titles, the red flags I list will probably be very broad. I'll be listing red flags whenever I notice something that a conservative parent would not want their child to read.
2. Tags: I am going to use the tags at the bottom of each post to help me sort this list. I will try to use the same tags each time so if you click on a tag you'll get a list of books about whatever topic the tag is on. Ex: Clicking on a tag like "Awards" would reveal a list of all the award winners I've read.
3. Spoilers: I mentioned this in the last post, but since this entry is acting as a key for myself I'm saying it again. Before I mention major plot elements that some people might not want to know, I'm going to put the word Spoiler! That way, if anyone other than me happens to be reading this blog, they'll know to stop if they don't want the plot ruined.
Okay, I want to start posting actual book entries now, so if I think of something else I'll say it later.
1. Red Flags: Since the books I'm reviewing are Young Adult and children's titles, the red flags I list will probably be very broad. I'll be listing red flags whenever I notice something that a conservative parent would not want their child to read.
2. Tags: I am going to use the tags at the bottom of each post to help me sort this list. I will try to use the same tags each time so if you click on a tag you'll get a list of books about whatever topic the tag is on. Ex: Clicking on a tag like "Awards" would reveal a list of all the award winners I've read.
3. Spoilers: I mentioned this in the last post, but since this entry is acting as a key for myself I'm saying it again. Before I mention major plot elements that some people might not want to know, I'm going to put the word Spoiler! That way, if anyone other than me happens to be reading this blog, they'll know to stop if they don't want the plot ruined.
Okay, I want to start posting actual book entries now, so if I think of something else I'll say it later.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Welcome!
Have you ever seen the movie Desk Set? If you haven't, it's an oldie, but a goodie. I recommend it. From the look of this blog, you would think it's my favorite movie of all time, but that's not quite the case. You see, the premise of the film exactly fits the purpose of this blog.
In the movie, Bunny Watson (Katharine Hepburn) is a librarian for the Federal Broadcasting Company. She has an amazing memory, so whenever people in the company come with a request, she starts reciting the book that has the answer to their questions from memory. Naturally, with a brain like that, Bunny is skeptical when Richard Sumner (Spencer Tracy) enters her office and says he is just poking around. Bunny later finds that Richard owns a computer company, and he is there to install a computer in her library since computers are so advanced that you could fit one in a single room. Feeling that her job is threatened, Bunny sets out to sabotage the computer. SPOILER! At the end of the movie, Bunny finds out she's not being fired, and that the computer is actually supposed to help her in her job. Since it's a Katherine Hepburn/Spencer Tracy movie, Bunny and Richard also realize they're in love, and they live happily ever after.
Being a library student myself, I can kind of relate to Bunny's predicament. There's a lot of information out there, and librarians need to know how to find it. Bunny memorized it all. I can't do that. Instead, I'm creating a blog to keep track of all of my book reviews. That way when I'm looking for a book I know I've read, I can also remember what I thought about it and who I should or should not recommend it to in the future.
Just like I did above, when I'm revealing plot elements that some would prefer not to know, I'll insert a bold SPOILER! tag so you know to stop right there if you don't want to ruin the book's ending.
Oh, and by the way, I'm mainly doing this for a class assignment, so the books in this log are all going to be children's books and young adult books for the next few months. After that, we'll see what happens.
Are you still with me? If so, enjoy!
In the movie, Bunny Watson (Katharine Hepburn) is a librarian for the Federal Broadcasting Company. She has an amazing memory, so whenever people in the company come with a request, she starts reciting the book that has the answer to their questions from memory. Naturally, with a brain like that, Bunny is skeptical when Richard Sumner (Spencer Tracy) enters her office and says he is just poking around. Bunny later finds that Richard owns a computer company, and he is there to install a computer in her library since computers are so advanced that you could fit one in a single room. Feeling that her job is threatened, Bunny sets out to sabotage the computer. SPOILER! At the end of the movie, Bunny finds out she's not being fired, and that the computer is actually supposed to help her in her job. Since it's a Katherine Hepburn/Spencer Tracy movie, Bunny and Richard also realize they're in love, and they live happily ever after.
Being a library student myself, I can kind of relate to Bunny's predicament. There's a lot of information out there, and librarians need to know how to find it. Bunny memorized it all. I can't do that. Instead, I'm creating a blog to keep track of all of my book reviews. That way when I'm looking for a book I know I've read, I can also remember what I thought about it and who I should or should not recommend it to in the future.
Just like I did above, when I'm revealing plot elements that some would prefer not to know, I'll insert a bold SPOILER! tag so you know to stop right there if you don't want to ruin the book's ending.
Oh, and by the way, I'm mainly doing this for a class assignment, so the books in this log are all going to be children's books and young adult books for the next few months. After that, we'll see what happens.
Are you still with me? If so, enjoy!
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