This was recommended to me by my nine-year-old, who is very much a library-lover -- and yes, he loved this library-themed book, too.
I've got mixed feeThis was recommended to me by my nine-year-old, who is very much a library-lover -- and yes, he loved this library-themed book, too.
I've got mixed feelings on it. What I enjoyed: the fun puzzles, the references to other books (I wish there was a master list of all the books mentioned!), and the fact that kids and adults will both like this book enough to be able to talk about it together; it would probably be a decent read-aloud. And I loved that it painted libraries in such a positive, fun light (even if I didn't agree with all the video-game-like technology was the way to do it). What I didn't like: the characters are pretty flat, there was never any real risk (I thought they were escaping from some kind of danger, but it's all truly a giant game), and interspersed between all the allusions to classic children's lit were references to books and events that were completely fictitious -- how is a kid supposed to tell the difference?
This is a good one to read to connect with your kids (especially if they liked Willy Wonka -- Mr. Lemoncello really is a lot like him!), but if you're just a young-at-heart adult looking for the next children's classic, you can probably skip this one....more
I read this back before I had kids and really enjoyed the book: the likable characters (even the villains are likable; Mr. Sir is my favorite!), the dI read this back before I had kids and really enjoyed the book: the likable characters (even the villains are likable; Mr. Sir is my favorite!), the descriptive but not overbearing writing, and especially the way the plot pieces fit themselves together like a jigsaw puzzle. Very worthy of the Newbery.
A few months ago, I decided it was time to introduce my nine-year-old to this treasure of a book. I checked it out from the library and waited for him to pick it up. But he didn't -- Holes just sat on the library shelf for weeks while he reached for graphic novels instead (he's on a Pokemon kick right now). I figured that this was just too good of a book to return to the library unread, so I decided to read it aloud to the kids (9, 6, and 4) at bedtime. I had fallen out of the habit of reading aloud to them since having a fourth child, so this would be a good way to bring back the tradition.
It only took about two chapters for my nine-year-old to realize his mistake in not reading this earlier -- he would beg every night for "one more chapter!" He would have devoured the whole thing in a day or two if he'd only just started the book! I asked him to rate it afterward, and he gave the story five stars. The two younger kids enjoyed it just as much -- though it's always hard to tell how much of their enjoyment is because of the book and how much of it is just that they like being read to. Either way, we all loved reading this book the past month!
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2020 UPDATE: This book is on next school year's Battle of the Books list, so I read it aloud to my two middle kids (with my oldest and youngest listening in occasionally, too). We read a few chunks to make it through the first twenty chapters ... then we read the rest of the book (all 145 pages) in one morning, because my daughter couldn't bear to stop reading! This book is a lot of fun. I loved seeing how Stanley's character grows and develops; he gets stronger physically digging those holes, and he grows in so many other ways, too....more
A good, heartwarming story with a great message. Here is a children's novel that I can actually see children reading -- which is a good thing -- excepA good, heartwarming story with a great message. Here is a children's novel that I can actually see children reading -- which is a good thing -- except that, based on the buzz I'd heard about it, I was expecting near-Newbery material along the same lines as The Wednesday Wars or Inside Out & Back Again (so that's why only three stars from me). Still, this would be a great book for parents to share with their nine- or ten- or eleven-year-old to help facilitate a discussion about friendship, kindness, and bullying.
One thing I really loved and wished there had been more of: the way the storyline was shared by the different characters. I loved seeing the same scenes from varying perspectives and wished I could have gotten more of their stories, too, rather than just the quick glimpse we get into their heads that carries Auggie's story forward. While their problems might not have been as big or obvious as August's deformity, they were still real and I wished I could have had some resolution there, too!
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Listened to this as an audio book in October 2014 (to refresh for book club, even though I missed the meeting). I still really enjoyed the different perspectives of the characters. My kids listened with me for some of the parts, and my nine-year-old really enjoyed it (probably helped that Auggie loves Star Wars!). I do think my other kids are still too young for it, though....more
I missed this one as a child. Well, sort of. It was a "read-aloud" after lunch recess sometime in elementary school, but I usually daydreamed through I missed this one as a child. Well, sort of. It was a "read-aloud" after lunch recess sometime in elementary school, but I usually daydreamed through that time, so I didn't remember a thing from this book. Back then I wasn't terribly interested in fantasy or sci-fi, anyway, so I'm not sure I would have appreciated it. But I'm glad that between When You Reach Me (an excellent book that references A Wrinkle in Time) and book club, I finally decided to read this classic Newbery-winner.
I loved the themes in this book: light and darkness, love, family, inner courage, faith, and our weaknesses being our greatest strengths. You couldn't help but instantly love the characters, whether they were ordinary (Meg), extraordinary (Mrs Whatsit), or even tentacled (Aunt Beast)! And I loved the magical world (or, I should say, worlds) L'Engle introduced us to -- though I admit I was a little surprised that time-travel was really such a minor point of the book; mostly they seemed to be tessering between points in space and not time).
Still, this is simply a fabulous book with wonderful messages. I am definitely going to encourage my own kids to read this one! I think my eight-year-old would especially like this, with all the emphasis in science.
My only complaint is that the everything was wrapped up too quickly! I wanted to linger with the characters a little longer. Lucky for me there are more books in the series!...more
On the back of the library's copy of this book is a review from The Horn Book Magazine that says "the whole book is seamless, compelling, and memorablOn the back of the library's copy of this book is a review from The Horn Book Magazine that says "the whole book is seamless, compelling, and memorable -- impossible to put down; difficult to forget." Well, I was about to put that bold statement to the test: "difficult to forget," huh? What if you read this twenty years ago and have had two kids and subsequent serious sleep deprivation since then??
Well, I can't remember items on my shopping list while I'm at the store, but I remembered a surprising number of details from this book once I started reading: the whole first scene of the three girls being stopped by Nazi soldiers on a Copenhagen street corner, the image of the Star of David charm imprinting itself on Annamarie's hand, the climactic walk to the fishing boat and being stopped by the soldiers with dogs. The scenes that had been subconsciously hidden in my mind for years unearthed themselves as I turned the pages -- indeed, it is a memorable book.
The story is a courageous tale of fictional ten-year-old Annemarie -- and of the real citizens of World War II Denmark, who swiftly united to smuggle their Jewish population to Sweden, which was well worth learning about. Additionally, the writing is superb: somehow, Lowry manages to weave detail and plot together in a way that enriches young (and old) readers while not overwhelming them. Each word, each scene is crafted as though this were a poem rather than a novel-- don't be deceived by the thinness of this little book.
Loved this book even more than I did in elementary school. It was definitely worth revisiting....more
Esperanza, the only daughter of a wealthy landowner in Mexico, lived a privileged life until her father died and she immigrated to the United States. Esperanza, the only daughter of a wealthy landowner in Mexico, lived a privileged life until her father died and she immigrated to the United States. Working at the agricultural camps during the Great Depression brings with it much more hardship than Esperanza is accustomed to: there are fellow Mexicans and Mexican-Americans who want to strike for higher wages; there are prejudices that give preference to the white "Okies" over the Mexican and Japanese workers; there is valley fever. But Esperanza seeks to meet her trials -- and then she rises above them.
I loved this book. It's a beautifully written novel for middle-graders but I was completely enchanted by it as an adult. Something about the setting, the culture, the characters had me captivated. And the narrator for the audio version did a phenomenal job letting those Spanish phrases roll off her tongue.
I also really enjoyed the short author's note at the end of this book. Pam Muñoz Ryan was inspired by the stories of her own grandmother when writing this book, and she encourages young readers to dig into their own heritage and discover the legacy their grandparents left for them.
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Reread this for book club in July 2017 and it meant so much more to me this time. I love the grandmother's advice: "do not be afraid to start over," and the mother's: "we have two choices ... I choose to be happy."...more
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