Is this a precursor to Imogene's Antlers? It also reminded me of some of the Bill Peet books - although this came before many of those as well. A boy Is this a precursor to Imogene's Antlers? It also reminded me of some of the Bill Peet books - although this came before many of those as well. A boy imagines what it would be like to have duck feet, then two horns, a whale spout, a long tail, an elephant nose, and then all five at once. This would work great for a reader's theater. I particularly loved the ending!...more
This is one of those seemingly ultra-simple books that definitely wasn't so simple to plan and execute. The colors are beautiful. It's fun to go back This is one of those seemingly ultra-simple books that definitely wasn't so simple to plan and execute. The colors are beautiful. It's fun to go back to the first panel of color and find the eyes that you didn't notice the first time, but which became apparent in the cut-out when you turned the page and saw the tadpole or the chicken. It's also fun that it starts with "First the egg, then the chicken" and ends with "First the chicken, then the egg."...more
While mostly fun to read, this is just a pale shadow of things to come for Terry Pratchett's Discworld books - although it does seem a little unfair tWhile mostly fun to read, this is just a pale shadow of things to come for Terry Pratchett's Discworld books - although it does seem a little unfair to compare this to others I've read further on in the series. It isn't Pratchett's fault that I didn't start with this first book first. This does serve as a nice introduction to the Discworld and how things work, but not mandatory unless you plan to read them all. I did love Twoflower's luggage that has its own legs and relentlessly follows him everywhere. Next up is the sequel, The Light Fantastic....more
When I started this, I really liked the premise and thought it showed promise. It reminded me a bit of Garth Nix's Mister Monday. But as the story wenWhen I started this, I really liked the premise and thought it showed promise. It reminded me a bit of Garth Nix's Mister Monday. But as the story went on, it just seemed to fall a bit flat. It is written in a very casual style that also started to bother me more and more as the story progressed. There were sentence fragments and weird phrasings such as "That decided me." There were some clever ideas here, but I won't be rushing out to read a sequel should one be written....more
If you don't know much about Walt Whitman, this book is a great starting point! It will also make you want to learn more - or at the very least you wiIf you don't know much about Walt Whitman, this book is a great starting point! It will also make you want to learn more - or at the very least you will want to read more of his poetry: "O Captain! my Captain!" This would be a great book for introducing Walt Whitman to older students, or as a companion book in a unit about Abraham Lincoln or the Civil War. Barbara Kerley's text and Brian Selznick's illustrations work hand-in-hand to tell the story of Whitman's life. Don't skip the author's and illustrator's notes at the end. They really add a new dimension to the book. Also, longer excerpts of several of Whitman's poems are included at the end. This definitely deserves its Sibert Honor award....more
Add this to the short list of books whose movie adaptation is better than the book. And in this case, MUCH better. There is a lot here that wasn't useAdd this to the short list of books whose movie adaptation is better than the book. And in this case, MUCH better. There is a lot here that wasn't used in "A Christmas Story," and some of it is really good. A second movie could have been made with Ralphie and friends - maybe a summer movie with emphasis on the Fourth of July and fireworks. I would like to see that movie - although I'm sure it wouldn't be as good as the original. I'm giving this 3 stars, but it's really closer to 2.5 for me. There are some really funny parts, but it was a chore to wade through all the rest to get to those good parts.
A couple of quotes that made me laugh out loud:
Speaking of school and bad weather: "There was no question of staying home. It never entered anyone's mind. It was a hardier time, and Miss Bodkin was a hardier teacher than the present breed. Cold was something that was accepted, like air, clouds, and parents; a fact of Nature, and as such could not be used in any fraudulent scheme to stay out of school. My mother would simply throw her shoulder against the front door, pushing back the advancing drifts and stone ice, the wind raking the living-room rug with angry fury for an instant, and we would be launched one after the other, my brother and I, like astronauts into unfriendly Arctic space. The door clanged shut behind us and that was it. It was make school or die!"
Speaking of playing in the high school marching band: "Sometimes, in a high wind a sousaphone will start playing you. It literally blows back, developing enough back pressure to produce a thin chorus of "Dixie" out of both ears of the unwary sousaphonist."
Edit: I just found out that they DID make a sequel to "A Christmas Story" quite a few years ago called "My Summer Story." How funny! It doesn't have the same actors for the main characters, and apparently it was a flop. I want to see it! :)...more
**spoiler alert** What a great book! I loved it! The author's note says that this was "inspired by the true and courageous work of the Pack Horse Libr**spoiler alert** What a great book! I loved it! The author's note says that this was "inspired by the true and courageous work of the Pack Horse Librarians, who were known as 'Book Women' in the Appalachian mountains of Kentucky." Now I want to read more about the Book Women. Such inspiring women! I recommend this to everyone who loves to read, and everyone who doesn't. Cal says, "All at once I yearn to know what makes that Book Woman risk catching cold, or worse. . . . Just chicken scratch, I used to figure, but now I see what's truly there, and I read a little out. 'That's gift enough,' she says, and smiles so big it makes me smile right back." David Small's illustrations are perfect! I especially love the last one showing both sister and brother sitting on the porch each reading a book....more
This is an excellent account of the first man on the moon for children. The text is greatly enhanced by Mike Wimmer's very nice paintings. This is an excellent account of the first man on the moon for children. The text is greatly enhanced by Mike Wimmer's very nice paintings. ...more
I love Kevin Henkes' illustrations here - especially his use of color in the two-page spreads depicting the changing seasons in Old Bear's dream. ThisI love Kevin Henkes' illustrations here - especially his use of color in the two-page spreads depicting the changing seasons in Old Bear's dream. This would be a perfect book for a storytime on seasons, bears, hybernation, or even dreams....more
This is a nice collection of retold fairy tales focusing on fairy tale villains. It features stories and a few poems written by many excellent fantasyThis is a nice collection of retold fairy tales focusing on fairy tale villains. It features stories and a few poems written by many excellent fantasy authors such as Delia Sherman, Garth Nix, Peter S. Beagle, Holly Black, Jane Yolen, Nancy Farmer, Neil Gaiman, and a few others. As I expect with short story collections, there were some stories I enjoyed much more than others.
Probably my favorite story was "Up the Down Beanstalk: A Wife Remembers" by Peter S. Beagle. It is a retelling of the Jack and the Beanstalk story from the giant's wife's point of view. I was surprised that I enjoyed the story so much because I recently read Beagle's "The Last Unicorn" and didn't like it all that much.
Catherynne M. Valente's "A Delicate Architecture" is also very memorable and beautifully written. It's a bit dark and creepy, but I really like her idea of telling the back story of the witch from Hansel and Gretel. I would like to read something else by her sometime.
I found I enjoyed each story more if I read the note at the end of the story first - which gave a short blurb about each author and their work, and also why they chose their particular fairy tale....more
I think I would have enjoyed this more if I could have read it aloud to a small child at nighttime. It seems like the perfect book for reading aloud rI think I would have enjoyed this more if I could have read it aloud to a small child at nighttime. It seems like the perfect book for reading aloud right before bed when it is dark outside and light inside. The text follows a logical pattern which also lends itself well to reading aloud. The illustrations started to grow on me more each time I read through the book. They don't immediately reach out and grab me, but I do think the color scheme of black and white with touches of gold enhances the mood of the book. 3.5 stars....more
This was a solid three stars for me. There's nothing really wrong with it, but nothing terribly exciting about it either. The setting and information This was a solid three stars for me. There's nothing really wrong with it, but nothing terribly exciting about it either. The setting and information about the Maya culture was well done, but only mildly interesting. I was never drawn into the story, and the characters all seemed just a bit flat. On the plus side, I can now cross "X" off my Title A-Z challenge....more
This is nice enough for what it is - an autobiography in graphic novel format. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I was more of a dance person orThis is nice enough for what it is - an autobiography in graphic novel format. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I was more of a dance person or knew more about ballet. As it is, it just seemed to skim the surface and didn't really draw me in all that much. I did like the illustrations, which were as instrumental in telling the story as the text....more
I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as Journey to Topaz, although I did still find the subject matter very interesting. I think many Americans don'tI didn't enjoy this one quite as much as Journey to Topaz, although I did still find the subject matter very interesting. I think many Americans don't realize or remember that Japanese Americans were required to leave their homes and live in concentration camps during WWII. This is the sequel to Journey To Topaz: A Story Of The Japanese-American Evacuation, which tells the story of Yuki and her family living in a concentration camp in Utah. In Journey Home, Yuki and her family have been allowed to leave the concentration camp, but cannot yet go back to California. They live for a time in Salt Lake City while waiting for the war to end and the law against any Japanese living on the West Coast to be changed. Yuki just wants to go home and have her regular life back.
When the war ends, Uncle Oka is still sad and tells Yuki it is because of all he has lost due to the war. He says, "In war, nobody wins. Nobody at all." Later, though, he is able to find forgiveness:
"Forgive . . . " he murmured. The word came slowly and softly from his lips, as though he were understanding it for the first time. He spoke the word as a blind man might feel a new object, touching it, discovering it, wondering about it, amazed at the feelings that came alive as he said the word. Then he said slowly, "I guess forgiving does take the bundle of hate off your back."...more
**spoiler alert** This one is a 3.5 for me. I would give the first half of the book three stars, and the second half four. I did enjoy seeing the cont**spoiler alert** This one is a 3.5 for me. I would give the first half of the book three stars, and the second half four. I did enjoy seeing the continuation of Seth and Aislinn's story, but I got tired of the setup of the story in the beginning and then the many conversations reiterating the problems faced by the characters. I didn't feel that the story made any progress until Seth made his choice. It remains to be seen if Seth made a good choice. I didn't think it would be, but as things went on I started to see some potential in it. I look forward to finding out what will happen, although it looks like the fourth book in the series, which won't be out until next year, will once again be focusing on a side character.
Note: This series is for OLDER YA, bordering on adult....more
I didn't expect to like this as much as Wicked Lovely. I'd read reviews of people who didn't like it nearly as much. I knew that it wasn't about AisliI didn't expect to like this as much as Wicked Lovely. I'd read reviews of people who didn't like it nearly as much. I knew that it wasn't about Aislinn and Seth. I couldn't figure out why Leslie needed a whole book of her own - based on her small part in Wicked Lovely. I also don't plan to ever get a tattoo, so I thought the tattoo parts would be so far out of my realm of experience that I wouldn't be interested.
I was wrong! Once I got past the first few pages of setup which were too long and confusing, I really started to get drawn into the story. I liked Leslie much more than I expected, and hoped she would be able to figure out solutions to her problems. I even came to like Irial, and I cared about what happened to him. And I was also quite interested in all of the details about tattooing! Now I understand a bit more why people might choose to have tattoos and what a tattoo can mean for them - even though I will never make that choice. And really, isn't that one of the great things about reading: learning about and vicariously experiencing things that you will never experience in real life?
I enjoy being immersed in the world Melissa Marr has created, and I look forward to getting back to Aislinn and Seth's story in Fragile Eternity!...more
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