I'd saw someone describe this as an odd book, and since I tend to love odd books, I decided to give it a try. It is odd, but in a different w3.5 stars
I'd saw someone describe this as an odd book, and since I tend to love odd books, I decided to give it a try. It is odd, but in a different way than I tend to like. I did like it enough that I'm curious to try the next book, but it's on the baffling, weird side....more
I had to read a one word title book for my library's fall reading challenge, so this seemed like a perfect addition to my October line-up. I enjoyed iI had to read a one word title book for my library's fall reading challenge, so this seemed like a perfect addition to my October line-up. I enjoyed it as a quick read. Side note: Afterwards, I watched the movie with my 8 year old. He was horribly embarrassed when it got to the half-naked dancing women. I'm baffled why they went that route. (I'd watched it before, but don't remember that part. Maybe I saw an edited version?) I for sure like the book better in this case. Stardust is another story, though I didn't get far into the book before quitting it, being the sensitive reader that I am. ...more
These days, I'm constantly catching my Grasshopper(8) coloring. (At the table, in the floor, in his bed well past bedtime) He loves to color! He went These days, I'm constantly catching my Grasshopper(8) coloring. (At the table, in the floor, in his bed well past bedtime) He loves to color! He went through a stage where he didn't care to at all, so I was pretty surprised when I started catching him with coloring books and crayons stashed around the house. I thought this Bible might be a little treat for him.
It turns out that this thing is super girly. I'm not even the pickiest with my boys playing with "girl" things. They've all had dolls in their younger years. I share my "girly" LEGO sets and they enjoy playing with them as much as any other. They wear "manly" pink! ;) This Bible is an invitation to bullying, though(or at least "picking on", or laughing behind his back), so I can't recommend this for boys. It was hard to tell online when I first saw it, though it does look perfectly obvious now that I look again, but there's lots of pink on the front and back, and even a pink bookmark. For girls, it's nice. (Thankfully, I have a sweet niece that this is perfect for.) I would have loved for the outside(and the bookmark) to have been a little more gender neutral, though!
This is a full NIV Bible. It has 13 sections throughout with coloring pages. These sections are all two pages, front and back, and they are on thicker paper. The middle is a full two page spread, so you technically get 3 coloring pictures per section. The insides of the front and back covers are for coloring, too.
I'd probably recommend this for 7-11(on average). I imagine it'll start looking too childish for older girls, and most younger won't be able to color the complicated sections. (Of course, all children are on different levels, so that will vary, depending on the child. Plus, I know plenty of adults would love this Bible, too!) I wouldn't want to give it to a child too early, especially if they just carelessly color the pages. It wouldn't end up being the treasure it has the potential to be.
I have to admit that though I love comic books, I try not to read too many of them, nor keep too many of them in our home. (They deaden the brain, rigI have to admit that though I love comic books, I try not to read too many of them, nor keep too many of them in our home. (They deaden the brain, right? **eye roll**) ;) Seriously, though, most of them just aren't worth keeping around. Thrillingly, THIS one is one I am more than happy to keep in our home, and will make an excellent supplement to our Ancient Rome study next time around. Best yet, it has old fashioned Christian values that are greatly lacking these days, especially in comic books.
Tullus is a Christian in ancient Rome. The story revolves around him and his friend, Nereus. Tullus was featured in "Sunday Pix" from 1949-1976, published by David C. Cook. It was created and written by Joseph(Joe) Hughes Newton, with illustrations done by his wife, Barbara. This issue is illustrated by Bob Magnusen, and is edited by Rick Norwood. I love that there's information about the comic in the front and back, so you'll get a bit of the history surrounding it. This particular issue is a reprint of the comic from the 1952 edition of Sunday Pix.
The book is put together through what used to be weekly installments, all in full color. Each page gets a week's comic, with a "to be continued" at the end. It is a year's worth of installments, and it does end with a "to be continued" on the final page. Reading along, I was able to read through the year's worth of comics quickly, but I couldn't help feeling a little nostalgic as I did so. I could just picture a young person excitedly reading each week's new addition, and then impatiently waiting another week for the next installment. The story continues on and on, though, so I also wondered how annoying it would be to get a story so slowly. I really do imagine this comic created special memories for many!
Tullus definitely has an old fashioned feel to it, and some parts of it are corny. I say the same thing about almost every classic I've read, though, even if I adored it. It seems to come with the territory of older books, especially with comic books. Helena, the female lead, made me roll my eyes a bit at her love story, but I loved the bravery and trust in God that was shown by the Christian characters. It was refreshing to read, and I want more of things like this for my boys. I greatly enjoyed making my way through the book, and I hope there will be another installment.
I loved it, and I'm thrilled to add it to our bookshelves!
*I was provided a review copy, in exchange for my honest opinion.
**Just a little information should you want to order a copy, because you can get an awesome discount: It appears that right now, you can only order the kindle version at Amazon. You CAN order a paper copy for $4.99, plus $3 shipping at comicsrevue.com. I do love my kindle, but I really do recommend the paper copy in this case. If you're ordering for Sunday school classes, or from a Christian bookstore, you can get a discount of 40% for 10 or more copies, and 50% for orders of 100 or more. (Free shipping on discounted orders!)
We're officially homeschooling Grasshopper(5, almost 6) now, and I'm looking for gentle ways to add history lessons into his days. (We're mainly usingWe're officially homeschooling Grasshopper(5, almost 6) now, and I'm looking for gentle ways to add history lessons into his days. (We're mainly using History Stories for Children, as a Charlotte Mason recommendation, but I'd like to teach/learn about other people/places/time periods, too.) I've read one of the books in the Imagination Station series in the past, and I thought I remembered it having a little history lesson intertwined in the story. Since I had access to the first 3 books, and they count for the Summer Reading Program, I decided to test them out, and see if it looked like something Grasshopper could handle.
I'm actually pretty thrilled that I think he will enjoy them now. They are full of action and there is a little mini lesson in history. Really, it just touches on the person/place, but I think it will make a wonderful introduction for a deeper study. As you would guess, in Voyage of the Vikings, we are transported through time to Greeenland, and meet Erik the Red and Leif Eriksson. This is a very short read for young readers, so there isn't really anything touched on in depth, but again, it's a nice introduction to the world of Vikings.
Overall, I'm excited to try these out with Grasshopper! ...more
Attack at the Arena is the 2nd book in the Imagination Station series. In this adventure, cousins Patrick and Beth travel to 5th century Rome in sear.
Attack at the Arena is the 2nd book in the Imagination Station series. In this adventure, cousins Patrick and Beth travel to 5th century Rome in search of a monk's cup. Admittedly, I'm curious who Albert is. The writers have done a great job making a child/adult want to get from one book straight into another! There's little mysteries scattered about, like who Albert is and the ring.
While in Rome, Patrick and Beth meet a monk and Emperor Honorius. We learn a bit more about the world of arena fighting back then. As I mentioned in my post about Voyage of the Vikings, everything is really just touched on, as opposed to great detail. It leaves the parent(or child) open to add as much or as little detail for deeper studying. I've been doing a bit of history reading myself, trying to get people/places/events in the proper place in my brain. These stories have grabbed my interest, and I'm excited to do more studying, not only for myself, but for Grasshopper.
I'll mention briefly that there was one part I didn't care for. The monk informs Patrick that God told him where a certain person would be.
Overall, I've had fun within these stories ...more
This was the first "Who Was..." book I read, and I loved the set-up of this book, and the timelines. I got a good picture of the events and people surThis was the first "Who Was..." book I read, and I loved the set-up of this book, and the timelines. I got a good picture of the events and people surrounding the time of Amelia, all within a quick little read.
I originally gave this book 4 stars because of that. I just couldn't get past the way feminism was portrayed in this book, though, so I'm dropping it. I don't mind knowing that Amelia was a feminist. I want to know things like that! But, the way it was went about portraying that side of Amelia really bugged me, especially in a children's book.
I'll have my children read a different biography concerning Amelia when the time comes for that lesson....more
This was a re-read for me, in anticipation for the movie that just came out in theaters.
I enjoyed this book much more this time than the first, I thiThis was a re-read for me, in anticipation for the movie that just came out in theaters.
I enjoyed this book much more this time than the first, I think, though the word "enjoy" might be stretching it a bit. I wasn't overly impressed the first time, but it made me think so much more this time around. There were certain parts, like "smacking" children that couldn't pronounce words properly, that really hurt my heart. As a parent with a child that struggled with speech for years, I couldn't imagine "smacking" him for not talking properly. (He still struggles with certain sounds even now at almost 6.) Of course, there were lots of other parts that hurt my heart, but I won't give any spoilers.
This is one of those books I consider a "must read"! It will stretch your mind and make you think and probably appreciate life a little more the way it is.
October 2021: Re-read for the third time. (This time around, I read the other 3 books in the series, too, so it was nice to see how some things turn out. There's still lots of gaps left for your imagination, though.)...more
Quick Thoughts: A big dose of Ghostbusters + little dose of Sherlock Holmes + 1870s London, England = one of my favorite books of the year!
Full ThougQuick Thoughts: A big dose of Ghostbusters + little dose of Sherlock Holmes + 1870s London, England = one of my favorite books of the year!
Full Thoughts:
I've had an *amazing* month of reading this month! I've made it a point to at least attempt keeping my focus on "odd" books. It's paid off! I don't think I've ever read this many books I enjoyed so much in one month. Even so, THIS one is still my favorite of the month so far. I'll have to read some amazing books through the remainder of the year for this one to not be on my list of favorites of the year!
I can't recommend this one to ALL of my readers. Most of you, yes. I think you'll love it. Despite being a middle grade book, it's very mature, in my opinion, and I think even fans of YA will end up loving it. It is dark, and a bit creepy at times. I'd say it's more suspenseful than horror. If I'd read the description before grabbing it, I most likely wouldn't have read it. I would have missed out, though.
Birdie McAdams is a 10 year old bogler's girl. She's an apprentice to Alfred, which is a bogler. Together they catch and kill the bogles that have been hiding and feeding on children. (A bogle is a monster or bogeyman.)They're very poor and they depend on each job to put food in their stomachs and to keep Alfred's brandy flask full. Things start changing when Miss Eames arrives in the picture, though!
Seriously! I loved this book! I didn't want to put it down and pretty much flew through it. It's mysterious enough that I couldn't wait to see what happened next. There were a few characters I kept going back and forth on what side they were working for. I thought it was a well written, challenging book for young readers. There is a bit of content I could have done without, especially considering this is a middle grade book, but otherwise it was wonderful.
One part of me was disappointed to learn this is the first in a trilogy. I don't want to have to wait 2 years to finish the series. Almost nothing bugs me more than having to wait that long to finish a story. ;) On the other hand, I'm thrilled there will be more to Birdie and Alfred's story. If you don't mind a bit of "street" language and lifestyle,(They live on the streets of 1870s London. They talk a little rough at times.) and a brief stroll through the creepy lane, I *highly* recommend you give this one a chance!
Content: There is some mild profanity throughout. There are a couple of curses to Hell...one of which is a plea for God to send the person there. To kill the bogles, things such as salt and "holy water" are used. Children are being eaten, so there's lots of murders, but no details as far as I remember. (I know! It sounds much worse here than while reading, though, I assure you!)
*I was provided an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. ...more
Let me just tell you right off the bat that I loved these books so much, I've already ordered The Action Bible! My hands are just itching in excitemenLet me just tell you right off the bat that I loved these books so much, I've already ordered The Action Bible! My hands are just itching in excitement to get a hold of it. ;)
This book is set up as a 52 week study. It's most recommended for 8-13 years olds, and I agree, but I still think it could help older children, too. It's great for a boy OR girl, but I do think boys will connect with it more. The devotions for each week include a summary of a Bible event, in comic book style. It always included what book and chapter(s) the story is taken from. There's a "Key Verse", an "X-Ray Vision" section, which is a lesson that can be taken from the story. There's a "Your Mission" section, which includes challenges for the reader. "Your Debrief" asks some questions that will get the reader thinking. "Mission Accomplished" makes the reader think about what he/she has taken way from that week's lesson. Some lessons include a section to encourage reaching out in some way or a section to draw and/or write. It's part devotional and part journal. You could easily use this as a family book and pass along to each person with a notebook to write in OR actually use it as an individual study/journal/diary.
The devotional part is written by Jeremy V. Jones. I recognize his name AND his writing style from the Triple Dog Dare: One Year of Dynamic Devotions for Boys. I passed that devotional on to one of my nephews.
Is every story in this book perfect? No, of course not! Nothing written by man is, and I do *not* recommend letting the stories in this book replace, in any way, God's inspired written Word! As a supplement to reading THE Bible, I think this is an **amazing** study tool! I truly think that's what it was developed for...a study tool. So many people out there are visual learners, and this is a wonderful gateway to help those people understand many events from The Bible. As I read through this devotional, I gained a better understanding of many of those events. There were things that I didn't remember, and I would go back to the original story in The Bible and refresh my memory. There were stories that I didn't overly like the rephrasing or interpretation. As with ALL Bible related books written by man, just use your Bible knowledge and best judgement to know what to leave and what to take. I have a pretty low tolerance for changes made to Bible events, and I still feel perfectly safe recommending this book to you.
Overall, this gets a *highly* recommended from me!
*I was provided a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion....more
This book is told in comic book style. I’m not typically a comic book reading kind of person, but something about this one pulled my interest. It’s apThis book is told in comic book style. I’m not typically a comic book reading kind of person, but something about this one pulled my interest. It’s apparently based off a series of television programs, which shamefully, I’d never heard of before this book!
There are several different stories by different authors and illustrators, but with the common theme of the storyteller and his dog. There’s various fables, folk tales, and fairy tale-ish stories throughout with different kinds of morals attached. Of course, there’s some I liked better than others. The same goes for the illustrations. Each one also has various levels of corniness! ;) There’s one story of a cat that turns into a man for love, and one where a woman gives birth to a frog that has knowledge of everything under the sun. Ha! Do you know those stories where suddenly your brow wrinkles up as you proclaim(if only in your mind), “What?!”? You’ll do that a great deal with this book! Some of the stories are wonderfully weird, but some of them are just plain weird, like the witch baby one! In that story there’s a baby with iron teeth that eats her family. She’s shown with fingers in her mouth, like it’s a carrot. It seems more in line with the “original” fairy tales, back when people weren’t quite so squeamish.
Overall, if you’re a fan of comic book style stories and different kinds of fairy tale-ish stories, I’d give this one a try. My feelings are pretty mixed, but overall, I kind of liked it.
*I was provided a review copy through Netgalley. ...more
I loved this Action Bible Handbook and the Devotional *so much* that I've already ordered The Action Bible. I think all three of them will work beautiI loved this Action Bible Handbook and the Devotional *so much* that I've already ordered The Action Bible. I think all three of them will work beautifully together!
This handbook is a *wonderful* Bible study tool to have! As the title suggests, it is a dictionary of people, places, and things. Everything is listed in alphabetical order. There's even brief summaries of books of the Bible(added into the alphabetical order listings). There are pictures from The Action Bible throughout the book. My favorite part is at the end of each definition/summary, it tells you exactly where to find that object/person both in The Action Bible and THE Bible.
I really can't say enough about these books, though! I'm thrilled to have them on our shelves, and they are already proving to be great Bible study tools. I can't wait for The Action Bible to get here! It will be another great supplement to use in teaching my boys events from The Bible.
*I was provided a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion....more
I just learned that today is Roald Dahl Day! How fun! I read Matilda a few months back, but I've been hanging on to this post in hopes that I could waI just learned that today is Roald Dahl Day! How fun! I read Matilda a few months back, but I've been hanging on to this post in hopes that I could watch the movie and do a combination post. While I've tried several times, and I have seen a good bit of it, watching the whole thing just isn't happening right now. I will say it looks as though they stayed true to the book in the movie. There's some extra parts thrown in, but it keeps the dark, yet humorous quality of the book. And, they seriously couldn't have done better with the casting of The Trunchbull!
I figured what better day than today to get it on up, though!
Matilda is a 5 year old girl. She's also a genius, and loves to read. Among her favorites is Charles Dickens. Her parents are mean and dishonest, but she learns to get her revenge through humorous ways. Most of the story takes place after Matilda starts going to school, where she meets the horrible Trunchbull and the sweet Miss Honey.
Since Tim Burton seems to be so drawn to Dahl, I couldn't help but want to check out his writing! I was by no means disappointed in the story itself, but I was hoping for more of a "wonderfully weird" kind of read. From what I've heard, I have plenty of opportunities with his other books. Just Tuesday, I finally made it to the library and got Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator. I hear the last one just might be the "wonderfully weird" I'm hoping for.
I kept thinking as I read that I shouldn't like a story so much where a child is getting revenge on authority figures. I liked it, though. Those authority figures are pretty horrible and Matilda is still portrayed as a respectful child, overall. I always like a book that gives me encouragement to get in the Classics, and this one definitely does just that. (Of course, I had to wipe out the stack of review books I'd collected first, but I'm on the right track now.)
Matilda ended up being a fun, humorous read, and I'm glad I spent the time in it! It provided lots of snickers. I'm now greatly looking forward to reading the rest of Dahl's books!...more
**I read the first two books before writing any of my thoughts down, so I decided to just do a combination post for both of them. My thoughts were pre**I read the first two books before writing any of my thoughts down, so I decided to just do a combination post for both of them. My thoughts were pretty similar for both books.
I can't imagine a young person out there, especially young men, that wouldn't love this series of books! *I* already wish that the next book was out, so I could read it, too. These books provided me with such a wonderful learning experience. I learned about new places and even cultures of those lands. They are packed full of adventure and wildlife. I learned about some of the dangers that threaten those parts of the world.
The most amazing part of these books is the fact that Gannon and Wyatt are two real young men that have traveled to these places. The adventures are *loosely* based on their experiences. I don't imagine they'd be traveling quite as much if they were held at gunpoint and came so close to death everywhere they went. If you'd like to read more about Gannon and Wyatt, you can check out their website, Travels With Gannon and Wyatt. I found it pretty fun to peek around over there after reading both of the books. I felt like I was putting more of a face with the stories.
There's journaling pages at the end of the book, so your child can record their own adventures and notes. There's even maps at the end, too. I'm a huge sucker for book maps! I imagine these books would give young people a hunger for adventure and travel. It never hurts for education to be wrapped in a fun package, and that's exactly what this series gives.
As much as I enjoyed this series, it's obvious that it's written for young people. If you're an adult that simply reads middle grade for the fun of it, you might find parts of it corny. I won't lie! I did at times. I was easily able to look past it to see what a wonderful gift this series will be for my boys in a few years, though.
Lord willing, you better believe I'll be adding these books to our shelves for my boys to read! They are great, clean, adventurous fun and I enjoyed reading them!
*Great Bear Rainforest gets a *tiny bit* more on the fantasy side with bears and dreams leading the way. I honestly couldn't tell if there was some Christian allegory going on or if it was simply a hat tip to Native American spirit beliefs.
**I was provided an e-ARC of both books in exchange for my honest opinion. ...more
**I read the first 2 books before writing any of my thoughts down, so I decided to just do a combination post for both of them. My thoughts were prett**I read the first 2 books before writing any of my thoughts down, so I decided to just do a combination post for both of them. My thoughts were pretty similar for both books.
I can't imagine a young person out there, especially young men, that wouldn't love this series of books! *I* already wish that the next book was out, so I could read it, too. These books provided me with such a wonderful learning experience. I learned about new places and even cultures of those lands. They are packed full of adventure and wildlife. I learned about some of the dangers that threaten those parts of the world.
The most amazing part of these books is the fact that Gannon and Wyatt are two real young men that have traveled to these places. The adventures are *loosely* based on their experiences. I don't imagine they'd be traveling quite as much if they were held at gunpoint and came so close to death everywhere they went. If you'd like to read more about Gannon and Wyatt, you can check out their website, Travels With Gannon and Wyatt. I found it pretty fun to peek around over there after reading both of the books. I felt like I was putting more of a face with the stories.
There's journaling pages at the end of the book, so your child can record their own adventures and notes. There's even maps at the end, too. I'm a huge sucker for book maps! I imagine these books would give young people a hunger for adventure and travel. It never hurts for education to be wrapped in a fun package, and that's exactly what this series gives.
As much as I enjoyed this series, it's obvious that it's written for young people. If you're an adult that simply reads middle grade for the fun of it, you might find parts of it corny. I won't lie! I did at times. I was easily able to look past it to see what a wonderful gift this series will be for my boys in a few years, though.
Lord willing, you better believe I'll be adding these books to our shelves for my boys to read! They are great, clean, adventurous fun and I enjoyed reading them!
**I was provided an e-ARC of both books in exchange for my honest opinion. ...more
I found The Fellowship for Alien Detection to be an enjoyable read! In all of my reading through the years I can't remember one of them being3.5 stars
I found The Fellowship for Alien Detection to be an enjoyable read! In all of my reading through the years I can't remember one of them being about aliens. (Surely, I'm forgetting at least one, though). For that reason, this one was a refreshing change of pace for me. It had the "weird" quality going on for it, as you would expect in a book about aliens.
Haley is disappointed that she won't be attending Thorny Mountain Music Camp or The Daily Times Junior Correspondent Fellowship during her summer break. She did get into the Fellowship for Alien Detection program, though, which means she gets an all expenses paid, 2 week road trip with her family in order to do some alien research.
Dodger has also been accepted into the Fellowship, so he's going on his alien research trip with his dad. They don't have the best of relationships, and his dad is constantly looking at him oddly. Worse, Dodger keeps picking up radio signals from a town called Juliette, which isn't even on a map. These signals give him headaches and nose bleeds. No wonder he's getting those looks, huh?!
When Dodger and Haley start making connections between missing people and missing spaces of time, they come together to make an even bigger discovery involving aliens.
Despite the fact that I really did enjoyed this book, I have quite a few issues that will keep me from fully recommending it to some of you. My first issue came along pretty quickly. The characters are children and they call their parents by their first names. At 31, I'm not *that* old, but I grew up in a time where that was just plain disrespectful. I don't/won't allow my children to call me by my first name(at least to my face) at any point either. I almost think that this approach *might* have been an attempt to keep things less confusing. Sadly, I found it more confusing. I would have preferred to have saw "Dodger's dad" repeatedly as opposed to his name, Harry. I had to flip back and re-read at times to make sure it was referring to a set of parents, as opposed to a new character.
Another big issue was the word of profanity used. It was only one word. In a children's book, I find profanity at any level intolerable. I know! Some of you may be rolling your eyes. ;) I simply expect when picking up a children's book or handing it over to a child, that we will get the chance to escape into a clean world without worrying about "bad" words. We hear enough of that out in the real world. Fiction reading is a creative escape/journey from the real world. Expecting a clean read is a *huge* reason I enjoy middle grade books so much. Adult books are packed so full of content I don't like, and I hate to see children's books becoming more and more of the same. (*Bas**** was the word used. Not in the "child without a father way", but in the "I don't like you, so I'm going to call you a bad name" kind of way.)
The book is divided into 3 sections. The first part is around 200 pages, and it's about Haley. I was flipping the pages at rapid speed totally into the story, and then part 2 happens. It's almost like a completely new story happens as we now learn about Dodger. (Part 3 is combined efforts at the aliens). When part 2 came along, I was so disappointed that I was thrown into another story that my interest level in the book plummeted a great deal. I still enjoyed it, but it took me awhile to get back into the story and a much harder time picking it back up to read. I'm not against long books! I actually like a great deal of them, and feel I have a better chance at bonding with the characters. I started feeling its length as my reading progressed with *this one*, though, and I think it would have benefited from a shorter length.
For me to have enjoyed this book, I sure have did a great deal of complaining, huh?!
Once again, though, I did appreciate the uniqueness of this book, and it's made me want to look into finding more "alien" books, especially when I need a change of reading pace. Also, I greatly appreciated that the parents are involved! They are good parents, and the fact that each set of parents went on a 2 week road trip in order for their children to do alien research shows their love for Dodger and Haley.
The Fellowship for Alien Detection is a book I do recommend (for those of you who think you might enjoy a middle grade alien book), but only with warnings!
*I did have an ARC, so *maybe* that word was cut out of the final copy.
**I was provided a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion....more
Summer Fowler is the third of six children. With two older sisters who don't exactly connect with their younger sister, and three younger brothers, shSummer Fowler is the third of six children. With two older sisters who don't exactly connect with their younger sister, and three younger brothers, she feels a little left out more often than not. When her family helps her dad fix up an old library over the summer, she decides it's time to stand out, so she's never forgotten again.
I'm a middle child myself, although I only have one older sister and a younger brother. I never really connected with either one of them growing up. They'd say the same! I *should* have connected with Summer more than I did, but unfortunately, I found her overly whiny. She was *looking* for reasons to claim she was left out. If a child can claim a parent doesn't care simply for calling him/her the wrong name occasionally, I guess I'm a bad mother! ;) Summer's family was great! It was clear they loved her, and they were a fun, caring set of parents. There was the one incident that seemed a little "out there", in my opinion. While stopped at a gas station, her family leaves without her. Two hours later, they come rolling back in the parking lot, not because they realized they'd forgotten Sunday, but because they drove an hour in the wrong direction, and one of the others had to use the restroom. Yeah, that's pretty horrible parenting! They were great parents otherwise. I wanted to tell Sunday to read Matilda, and then she might think otherwise about her parents.
Other than the times Sunday was whining about being left out, this is a cute story, though! There's lots of references made to books. The "mystery" in A Summer of Sundays is a big shout out to To Kill a Mockingbird/Harper Lee and The Secret Garden. Sunday reads a great deal and that definitely warmed me to her. Plus, the library is a big part of the book. Who doesn't love an old library in their books?!
It's not too long in the story before Sunday meets a new friend, Jude. He adds a little excitement to her summer. Or maybe she adds a little excitement to his summer! It takes some bribery to get him to spend the night at the cemetery! I thought he was a fun addition to the story. I couldn't help but picture Robert Capron(Diary of a Wimpy Kid) as Jude and Joey King(Ramona and Beezus) as Sunday.
It took me a little while to really like this story, but in the end, I think it's a great summer read for tweens!
*I was provided an e-ARC through Netgalley. ...more
Mehrigul is a Uyghur(WEEgur) girl. She lives in a place where young girls are sent to work in factories if they don't attend school. When those girls Mehrigul is a Uyghur(WEEgur) girl. She lives in a place where young girls are sent to work in factories if they don't attend school. When those girls are needed at home just to make end's meet, their families are put in a tough spot. When Mehrigul's brother leaves home, she is forced to stay at home to help her family. Now Mehrigul is in danger of being sent away to the factories, though.
While at the market with her father, an American lady spots her plain, useless grapevine basket, and pays Mehrigul far more than she would possibly expect. Even more amazing to Mehrigul is that she offers to buy more when she comes back in three weeks. Can Mehrigul find the time and bravery to make those baskets?
It was hard for my mind to wrap around the fact that this book is set in modern times, not historical. It was eye opening to me that such issues(and worse) take place miles away from me RIGHT NOW! I also never really understood why some people refuse to buy items "Made in China". (Yes, I'm pretty sheltered!) I understand now. It's *not* because it's made overseas. It's because these innocent young girls are forced away from home to make these cheap little items in factories. It's opened my eyes to the way I will shop from now on. Now beautiful items like the baskets made to help one's family, that's another story!
Mehrigul's parents throughout the story aren't the best of role models. Since her brother left home, her mother and father have sunk into deep depressions. Her father is an alcoholic and gambles money away that should be spent on food and debt. Her mother can barely function at times due to her depression, and she relies on a special tea to help her sleep. I just wanted to smack them upside the head quite frequently! At the same time, she is also surrounded by wonderful people that love her. Her grandfather was so wonderful, you can't help but want to hug him. He's so graceful and sweet, it will bring tears to your eyes. La Valley actually has such a beautiful way with words, that she will bring tears to your eyes quite frequently. She had an amazing way of bringing her characters right off the pages.
Mehrigul has an outstanding journey with her struggles not only making the baskets, but taking on a role in her family she isn't supposed to have to take. She also struggles with her family's rapid loss of status, and the teasing and disrespect that comes with it. She is an amazing and strong character. She sometimes had a hard time keeping her place. Even if I didn't agree with her low status as a woman, that is her land's traditions. She tries to make things right, though, and for that I think she is an excellent role model for any young lady.
Overall, I highly recommend The Vine Basket, both for the amazing characters it contains, and the educational experience it provides.
*I was provided an ARC through Amazon Vine in exchange for my honest opinion....more
Twerp is written in the form of short stories(diary entries) by 12 year old Julian Twerski. His teacher, Mr. Selkirk, made a deal that he could get ouTwerp is written in the form of short stories(diary entries) by 12 year old Julian Twerski. His teacher, Mr. Selkirk, made a deal that he could get out of some other assignments if he wrote these stories. It's so easy to imagine Mr. Selkirk sitting behind his desk chuckling away at these things, too! The whole book comes into existence because of some bullying event that Julian was involved in, and an attempt to find out just what did happen.
Twerp mainly consists of the mischief and adventures of a group of young guys. It takes place in the 1960s, so it's in a time when television and electronics weren't so much in the picture. I'm a bit more scared about the fact that I have 3 boys so close together. Lots of mischief potential!! At first, the stories don't seem to overly connect, but they start to pretty quickly. There's hints from the very beginning of the bullying event, but it's not until the last chapter that we have that story. At times, it was too easy to forget the reason for the writing assignment. I was just so caught up in the life of this group of kids!
It reminded me throughout the whole story of the movie, The Sandlot. That's always been one of my favorite movies, so it's no wonder I couldn't seem to stop turning the pages. I read this at record speed for me these days. The last chapter left me in tears, but I still wish that game of "battle" was played! I'm still a little disturbed at just what happened, too. It was pretty impacting!
My biggest complaint is some of the "guy talk" about a certain body part they have. There's an accident where a guy falls on a fence split legged. It refers to the "area" hurt and even mentions that he shouldn't be looking at a girl or something will happen that shouldn't with his "area" in that condition. (Is that vague AND clear enough? If you want more details, I'll be glad to give them to you.) As far as girls go, be prepared to explain if she's somewhat sheltered. If she goes to public school, she's already knows! ;) There's also mention of a mom sunning with her bikini on. Honestly, it depends on how conservative you are whether or not this would bother you. I'm pretty conservative in this area, and want to go to any lengths possible to keep my sons' minds pure. I don't think these things will help them with that goal. That said, you'll easily see much worse on a family channel commercial break! I hope I've explained that well enough. I wouldn't want to recommend a book, and then you be so surprised, you never take my advice again. ;)
Other than the warnings I've given, I HIGHLY recommend Twerp! There's a note from the author at the end that I wish I could quote. Since I read an e-ARC, I can't. It made me smile, though. I'm glad he has been talked into changing his writing ways! I'll be picking up his future books as quickly as I can.
*I was provided an e-ARC through the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion....more
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