I have spent the past month reading this book on my lunch breaks and it was the perfect way to escape for sixty minutes halfway through my workday. JeI have spent the past month reading this book on my lunch breaks and it was the perfect way to escape for sixty minutes halfway through my workday. Jessica Nabongo is the first Black woman to travel to all 195 (UN approved) countries and 10 territories and this book is the highlight reel/PowerPoint presentation from 100 of those countries.
(Side note she finished her goal in October 2019 and in her author note she talks about the world shutting only a short five months later. Crazy to think how different things would have been if her timeline had been pushed back, she would not have been able to complete it!).
I see some of the comments on here say that book is too brief, that many countries only get 2-3 pages of text and most of the book is made up of her (gorgeous) photographs. I don't disagree with them but also, I do not care. I feel like Jessica wrote this book to show how travel is possible for anyone (granted she does mention her privilege multiple times at holding both a US and Uganda passport that made it easier for her to enter countries), to show how no country should be off limits to visitors, that people are people all over, that racism exists but it should not stop people of color from exploring and that the world is a beautiful place that needs to be protected for future generations (a lot of smaller islands are banning single use plastics for example). This book made me want to see more of the world (the food mentioned in here sounded delicious!) and visit countries that are not mentioned on top 10 travel destination lists. Very motivating and awe-inspiring. It definitely awakened the travel bug within myself....more
Friends. I did it. I finally re-read The Hobbit and guess what? I. DID. NOT. HATE. IT.
I feel I need to back up and explain. Way back in the day when IFriends. I did it. I finally re-read The Hobbit and guess what? I. DID. NOT. HATE. IT.
I feel I need to back up and explain. Way back in the day when I was a young waif of a girl I was given assigned reading every summer before school (#theworst). And the summer before 8th grade year we were assigned two books to read, one of them being The Hobbit. My mom, because she is the best mom in the world and was always encouraging her children to read, even got me a beautiful, paperback edition with illustrated pictures and thick pages for me to read. And over those two months of summer (or to be honest the last two weeks before school started up again) I read it.
And I hated it. I distinctly remember forcing myself to finish the story (because I was *that* kind of student) but I thought it was an incredibly boring book about hobbits and dwarves and long road trip and why did anyone think this was good literature? It was awful. It was a total snore fest.
(I should note that I was also reading a lot of Sweet Valley High and VC Andrew books at that time so I didn't have much of a leg to stand on when it came to "good" literature).
Anyways, for years after that if anyone asked if I had read Tolkien or LOTR (I work in a library, that question comes up more often than you think), I would also say no. I was not touching Tolkien again, not with a fifty three foot pole. No sireeee. But over the last few years, with gentle prodding from various friends and family members who are fans, I have been slowly been coming around to giving Tolkien another go. I was no longer a fourteen year old, my taste in a lot of things have changed since then, re-reading The Hobbit might be different this time. And after watching all three Lord of the Rings movies with my brothers over the last year (the three hour extended editions I must add, because my siblings are all psychopaths and want to torture me), I figured I would give this universe another go. Because I did enjoy the movies.
And I'm glad I did! I knew that this book was originally a bedtime story that Tolkien told his kids and it felt like a bedtime story as I was reading. The narrator was very friendly and cozy and I liked the way it felt like they were telling us one adventure out of many that exists in this vast world. I really liked Bilbo and the way he surprised everyone, including himself, with his bravery and intelligence along the way. And I felt for him when he got hungry (second breakfast FTW!) I did skip through some of the battle scenes because I often find those boring in general (sorry my fantasy friends) but I enjoyed all the riddles and songs, they really added to the story. All in all, I'm glad I finally re-read this. It was loads better than I remembered!...more
"Shame is a cruel thing. It should rest on the perpetrators, but they don't carry it the way the victims do."
Really good read. I was impressed with bo"Shame is a cruel thing. It should rest on the perpetrators, but they don't carry it the way the victims do."
Really good read. I was impressed with both the illustrations and seeing everything from young George's POV during those years at the camps. A perspective he points out numerous time that was clouded with childlike wonder and appeal and so he did not feel things quite as harshly/deeply as the adults did in the same situation. I also came away from this book very appreciate to his parents who were both pillars of strength and forgiveness to him and others in the community. He shows that his dad, who had every reason to turn bitter and hateful to the American government for what they did to him and thousands of other individuals of Japanese descent during the war, still went through the rest of his life believing in the freedom of democracy - "Despite all that we've experience, our democracy is still the best in the world because it's a people's democracy and the people can do great things."
This might be a graphic novel, but it's a graphic novel that made me think....more
This is the third in the Sunny series but you dont have to others first, you could jump right in. I was pleasantly surprise to realize upon reading hoThis is the third in the Sunny series but you dont have to others first, you could jump right in. I was pleasantly surprise to realize upon reading how much I have missed Sunny. She is such a relatable and enjoyable character. Trying to figure out who you are versus who your friends want to be is an universal lesson (at any age but especially during teen years) and one that I was happy to see Sunny deal with in here. I also liked the open endness of this book in general, it felt like (hopefully) there will be a book 4 in the future and I am down for that....more
If you are a fan of both graphic novels AND To Kill a Mockingbird, pick this up.
This is a gorgeous graphic novel first and foremost. Fordham’s artworkIf you are a fan of both graphic novels AND To Kill a Mockingbird, pick this up.
This is a gorgeous graphic novel first and foremost. Fordham’s artwork is well done, very effective and quite faithful to the book. There are plenty of direct quotes from the book and in places that he has edited or adapted, the panels move the story along quite well. I am a big fan of TKaM and I was a little leery of reading a graphic novel version of it but when it come in from the library I was blown away by how beautiful the artwork is. And then once I started reading I saw how faithful to the book it was. It is adapted, so some things are left out but I only saw one scene while reading that I knew for a fact had been edited (granted though, it's been awhile since I've read TKaM so there might be more).
I love the fact that this book is hardcover and the binding is top notch (You wouldn't believe the amount of children's/teen's graphic novel I order at work that fall apart in less than 6 months because the binding is non-existent :sigh:). Honestly this graphic novel was a absolute joy to read. I would not recommend reading it in place of the novel (read the novel first!) but as a companion to the book I would completely recommend or for a individual that is on the fence about TKaM or has trouble with long novels etc. Pick this up.
I will definitely be on the lookout for more of Fordham's work. He did an amazing job here....more
First off, this set of journals follows LMM (or Maud as she preferred to be called) from ages twenty-six to thirty Well, this was an interesting read.
First off, this set of journals follows LMM (or Maud as she preferred to be called) from ages twenty-six to thirty seven. We see more of Maud the person, as opposed to Maud the girl (if you read the first set of journals), or Maud the author (if you've read any of her books published in the last 100 years). It's well known fact that in later life Maud struggled severely with depression and that depression is shown in these journal entries. She has a lot of "dark nights/days/weeks" that leave her both physically and mentally exhausted. Having no one to lean on (a bit I'll get to later) Maud instead writes it down in her journal making it especially hard for me to get through one year when she was in the midst of great suffering and her journal writing was her only reprieve. While the first set of journals (1889-1900) was light hearted and full of friends, engagements and frivolity, this set was more somber in tone, reflecting her inner struggles and demons. It's not a bad thing, I still enjoy her entries immensely but it definitely made for a much harder read and one that I had to be in the right headspace for depending on the content.
Maud had great writing success - Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea, Kilmeny of the Orchard and The Story Girl were all published during these years. Anne (as she refers to her book in her entries) in particular was a immediate success putting both Maud and her little town of Cavendish on the map. Suddenly Maud had money coming in (more than she ever had before), invitations to meet famous people, letters from all over the world telling her how much this one little red headed orphan girl meant to them etc. But though fame came to her, not all was well. Maud lived with her elderly grandmother who was very strict about everything, with no true friends around, no social life outside of church and choir, no ability to use any of her money to make her life better for both herself and her grandmother. You get more details as you read this but in essence, she felt alone with no one to help ease her burdens. It was not a pleasant existence and one I personally think led Maud into matrimony (she gets married in 1911). She just didn't want to be alone and after reading her innermost thoughts, wishes and worries, I do not blame her for that choice.
My only quibble with this book was I felt that some entries were tailor made to an audience. Like Maud wrote them specifically for others, not for herself. It's a weird feeling, especially when reading someone's private journal entries and it could be just me but its a well know fact that she intended her journals to be released to the public after her death. It is noted in one of the footnotes that Maud started typing up her handwritten journals in her forties. So a couple of her entries - like when she does twenty pages of her family history or five pages of what parts of Anne come from her life and what part didn't- really stood out to me. Again, it could be just me but it made me wonder how many of her entries are filtered through the lens that others will be reading them and how many are unedited from the time they were first written down. I don't think that question will ever be answered.
But this is still worth the read! I really like the way the hardback is bound (the pages fall open so easily), the typecast is easy to read and I enjoy all the accompanying pictures (so many of Lover's Lane!) along with the footnotes on almost every page explaining people/places/books, etc.. The editors did a really good job with this edition. I plan on reading the next set of journals if I can get it through Inter-Library Loan again (this book came from the RSC-Waldo Library at Western Michigan University, thank you library!). I'm interested to read about the next stages of Maud's life, as a wife and mother....more
Another solid read for the Sunny series. I just like Sunny, she is such a relatable character. This book follows her from September 1976 to May 1977. Another solid read for the Sunny series. I just like Sunny, she is such a relatable character. This book follows her from September 1976 to May 1977. Surprisingly for it set being during the school year it doesn't focus on middle school at all (except a few panels when her Grandpa asks Sunny how school is going - she sums it up with a "uh") but instead focuses on the relationships she has with her parents, best friend, new neighborhood girl, grandpa and her big brother Dale who was sent away to finish high school at a military school.
The majority of the book is Sunny worrying about her brother Dale, who is at a strict military school due to him getting in trouble/flunking out of school in the first graphic novel. Sunny frets, worries and wishes (like the shots she gets for her allergies) that her brother could get a shot to make him all better. But she realizes that is not possible and gets some words of wisdom from her grandpa and mom regarding her brothers, scenes that really make the novel (I liked the scene with her and her mother just bawling together). I'd rec this series for readers that are worried about older siblings, readers who like 70's pop culture (we had Brady Brunch, Gilligan's Island, frozen dinners and pet rocks in here just off the top of my head) and readers who like big, colorful, engaging panels.
Even though this is #2, you don't necessarily need to read these books in any order. Both graphic novels standalone just fine....more
I liked this. Took me over two weeks to read it, which is quite unusual for me considering I usually finish a book in one or two days but as this was I liked this. Took me over two weeks to read it, which is quite unusual for me considering I usually finish a book in one or two days but as this was journal entries and mentioned a lot of names, locations and events I found myself needing to put it down and pick it up in order to stay refreshed and not go bug eyed crazy trying to keep track of anyone.
If you are a fan of ANY of Maud's writings, you would enjoy this glimpse into her private life - the good, bad and ugly. Spanning 11 years, she goes from almost fifteen to twenty-six years old - a big growth especially from teenager to a young women. Her earlier entries are full of friends, events, romance, etc while the last few years of the journal show the melancholy and depression that she would carry for the rest of her life. I liked that Maud really enjoyed people, especially boys. She was such good chums with boys and generally liked them but rarely wanted to pursue a romance with them and could never understand why so many of her boy friends ended up liking her. In one journal entry she says she can tell a friend is starting to show "sentimental nonsense" to her and she gets annoyed because she had never given him indication otherwise. I laughed because that could had been the entry from any teenager's journal from any year or country.
Some of the events that happened to her as a child she weaves into her stories later on which I thought was pretty cool.For instance she and her childhood playmates also scared themselves silly due to their own vivid imaginations in the Haunted Woods (AoGG) and they also thought they saw a ghost in the orchard dyke when in fact it was her grandmother kneeling down to retrieve something with a white cloth over her shoulder (RV). I enjoyed those entries because I really felt like she put herself and the people she knew into her stories. Also she gets quite a few of her stories published during her early twenties. It was thrilling reading each time she said that she received a check for this story and for that one. Especially because at sixteen/seventeen she wonders (and writes) if she will ever do anything with her stories!
The set up of the journals are beautiful. The editors did a great job of adding pictures to enhance what Maud is writing about as well as adding footnotes to the bottom of the pages to expand on someone/something she mentioned. For instance she mentions Frank Robertson and the footnote says "a sixteen-year-old boy, living with his widowed father and six siblings". Or she will mention games, slang, books etc. and the footnotes will explain them because it has been over 100 years since she lived and those things are not well known anymore. I really liked that a lot - the footnotes and pictures. It helped show the world that Maud lived in and make her life come alive.
As she gets older her writing gets less frequent but more juicy (gossipy? real? ....more interesting I suppose would be the better term). She writes about her relationships with men and bares her soul which left me really enthralled because yes, that is what you do as a twenty two year old. You make stupid decisions when it comes to the opposite sex and I completely felt for Maud as she wrote, "I knew that I did not love him but I thought I could. I had never really loved anyone although I have had several violent fancies that did not last very long." <------That could have been me at one point in my own twenties writing those lines.
So pick this up if you are interested in getting to know this author better. It will be worth your time. I know I will be reading the next set of journals....more
So this is a children's book but so much more than just a children's book. I was so touched by this novel that I went back and listened to the audioboSo this is a children's book but so much more than just a children's book. I was so touched by this novel that I went back and listened to the audiobook just to re-hear its message again. Kate DiCamillo knocked it out of the park with this one. Such a great message of love for children and adults of all ages....more
Jensen is the best. Seriously. I loved seeing his drawn on the page, his facial expressions, body language, daydreams. He is really just a character tJensen is the best. Seriously. I loved seeing his drawn on the page, his facial expressions, body language, daydreams. He is really just a character that is so well written, drawn, etc.
I read Awkward last year when I was interviewing for a children's librarian position (I had to recommend a few books and Awkward was one of those recs) and I really liked it. It had a positive message intersected between all the middle school drama and Brave follows the same format. But, I think I liked Brave more? Partly is because I really like Jensen and partly it is because it focused on bullying and man oh man that is such an important topic for this age group. I especially liked that (view spoiler)[Jensen didn't even realize he was being bullied by some of the people he calls friends because bullies are the mean people you run from in the hallway, not the people you eat lunch with. But once he did realize some of his friends were treating him wrongly, it made him re-think what bullying is/was which in turn makes the reader re-think what a bully is/was. That was such a good lightbulb and character development moment all around. (hide spoiler)]This is a book I think middle schoolers should read just because it touches on some important topics. Especially the "be the change you want to see". Gosh, Jensen is just the best.
I hope Chmakova is not done writing about Berrybrook Middle School. I am NOWHERE near the age demographic for this series but I'd read more of this universe. Actually really anything written by her. She is such a great writer/such illustrator. I love seeing what the background characters are doing in the panels, some of them are quite hysterical....more
This was adorable. It took me a second to realize that some chapters were flashbacks (this is what I get for not reading the date at the begginning ofThis was adorable. It took me a second to realize that some chapters were flashbacks (this is what I get for not reading the date at the begginning of each chapter) but once I did, it was smooth sailing. I really liked Sunny and her Grandpa and the moment Buzz showed up with his L.A. Dodgers hat (go Los Doyers!), I was a goner for him as well. It took a while to come out, but this book dealt with a serious family situation that I felt was handled perfectly for this age group of readers. Sunny felt scared, confused, angry, etc and this book let her express all those different emotions. I really liked that and I would rec this book for children struggling with family members with different addictions in their lives. The pictures were great for it being a graphic novel, I especially liked Sunny struggling with the squeaky sofa bed. Her facial expressions made me laugh....more
Pretty good. I had heard a lot about this book so when I saw a copy was actually in at work, I picked it up. It was a fast read for me, I read it on mPretty good. I had heard a lot about this book so when I saw a copy was actually in at work, I picked it up. It was a fast read for me, I read it on my lunch break but really enjoyable. I liked the illustrations and the plot while simple, wasn't boring at all. ...more
Have to do a assignment for my Children's Programing class in which we had to read a 4th-6th grade book. I chose this one only because I knew it fit tHave to do a assignment for my Children's Programing class in which we had to read a 4th-6th grade book. I chose this one only because I knew it fit the paramaters and hey, I really ended up liking it. It was pretty good and I'm sorry but Praiseworthy is AMAZE-BALLS. ...more
"You know something?" said Mr. Quimby. "I don't care how much that kid or any other kid earns. I wouldn't trade you for a million dollars." ... Mr. Quim"You know something?" said Mr. Quimby. "I don't care how much that kid or any other kid earns. I wouldn't trade you for a million dollars." ... Mr. Quimby continued his careful snipping. "I'll bet that boy's father wishes he had a little girl who finger-painted and wiped her hands on the cat when she was little and who once cut her own hair so she would be bald like her uncle and who then grew up to be seven years old and crowned herself with burs. Not every father is lucky enough to have a daughter like that."
Read it on my lunch break because when I was little I loooooved Ramona and identified with her much more than any other literary character (I didn't meet Anne with an -E until a few years past Ramona). In this book we get her father unemployed and at home while the mom works, we got strained finances, we get worries, we get leftovers, we get Ramona picking up on all that. But we also get a father who will color with her in the afternoon, she and Beezus doing the anti-smoking campaign, and the sheep costume situation in the Christmas pageant. Clearly writes children really well and in my re-read I can still see glimmers of my young self in Ramona. Still liked it. Solid 4 stars....more
Not as good as Smile because this book took place over a two week summer road trip as opposed to Smile which took place over a few years but it was stNot as good as Smile because this book took place over a two week summer road trip as opposed to Smile which took place over a few years but it was still good. The snake, though. OHMYGOD the snake part had me in stitches on the floor. And I liked the flashback panels to when the two sisters were younger, they were quite funny. Especially the whole "we don't have good luck with pets" bit. ...more
This book, along with its companion Sisters, is all the rage at my work. It's been well over a year since kids have started asking for it and they areThis book, along with its companion Sisters, is all the rage at my work. It's been well over a year since kids have started asking for it and they are STILL ASKING FOR IT. So when new copies came across my desk, I just HAD to checkout a copy and read it. I'm glad I did because now I see why the middle schoolers have been asking for it, it's a good book!
Smile is a graphic novel but it's done really well. I love the pictures and the text and Raina is a really relate-able girl that even me, well beyond my middle school years, can relate too. There were a few times I laughed out loud, like for instance the one scene where the dentist is telling Raina what he is going to do to her mouth and all she hears is "Blah blah blah drill" and "Blah blah blah pain". That is what I too hear in the dentist chair so I liked that. Her family is pretty awesome too. I'm excited to read Sisters next. Wow. I can't believe I just typed that. :0...more
Read it, laughed and cried like a baby. Really well done. A good continuation of the crew and others in a post Serenity world. And the graphics were dRead it, laughed and cried like a baby. Really well done. A good continuation of the crew and others in a post Serenity world. And the graphics were done really well. ...more
This was good. I like that it took in the late 50's in California. I like that Jean was short and she wore glasses and before Johnny, she never reallyThis was good. I like that it took in the late 50's in California. I like that Jean was short and she wore glasses and before Johnny, she never really noticed boys before. I like that he was a jerk to her and she finally realized it and knew that she deserved a guy who actually LIKED her. At 15 (heck, at any age) , that is a big understanding and realization to come to and I adore Jean for realizing that. Also her apology to her best friend for the way she treated her. Jean is a good character, one can relate to her. Not my favorite Beverly Clearly YA book (I still think Fifteen is the best of her YA books) but I like it a lot.
And I'm sorry but the going-out-of-your-way-to-walk-past-the-house-of-the-guy-you-like-with-your-best-friend was FANTASTIC. I have been there done that. (Although we drove, not walked)...more
This was pretty good. I had never heard of the Rosenwald schools before this book, but in my defense, I am not from the South. I picked it up because This was pretty good. I had never heard of the Rosenwald schools before this book, but in my defense, I am not from the South. I picked it up because the pictures looked interesting and so did the small quotes and statistics. It was an interesting read. At a time when separate but equal meant separate and not at all equal when it came to things like school books and heat and adequate teachers, Rosenwald set out to change all that. I liked that he didn't donate 100% of everything, instead he gave 1/3 the cost and the community and state board had to raise the other 2/3's in order to make the schools feel vital and part of the community. I liked that. I also liked a quote near the end that stated that these children he helped give a good education to in the twenties and thirties ended up being the parents of the teens and young adults marching in the Civil Right's movement in the sixties. That is important to note because it shows the importance of education and the foundation that his schools made for their pupils and how that influence further generations of African American children.
I will note that this book is pretty biased in favor of Rosenwald and his schools and other philanthropical giving of his. I am sure not all areas in the rural South back then were thrilled to have to raise money for African Americans to go to school and become teachers and doctors and nurses and librarians etc but this book kind of glossed over any negativity Rosenwald's beliefs caused. It also glossed over the fact that Rosenwald believed in segregation, he did not try to integrate blacks and whites but instead kept them separate but tried to make them more equal which did not work really well especially after the Rosenwald Fund left and the local school board took over the schools and the students were left with outdated textbooks and bad teachers. I would have liked to seen more of that talked about in here. But alas, it was an interesting read and an important one and I'm glad I picked it up....more
This was a perfect, easy read. I laughed, I skipped over some parts, I read other parts twice etc. Not going to win any awards but its a perfect airplThis was a perfect, easy read. I laughed, I skipped over some parts, I read other parts twice etc. Not going to win any awards but its a perfect airplane or drive book. Wish there was more on certain ppl but maybe the next book she writes. :)...more
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