Oh, this was such a great middle grade story about an art club at odds with the science club. We see the lines drawn like the Capulets and Montagues. Oh, this was such a great middle grade story about an art club at odds with the science club. We see the lines drawn like the Capulets and Montagues. We follow the quiet science geek and art lover. We realize that both kids have so much in common.
One of the beautiful things in the story is how much art and science actually have in common. They bring up Leonardo da Vinci being a Renaissance man and being skilled at both and many talents. The clubs basically go to war with each other and it’s the unlikely friendship of our 2 main leads that the story hinges on.
The science kids are treated more like rock stars than nerds and the cool art kids are treated more like nerds than cool. It’s an interesting flip, at least at our school that was how it worked. I thought it was good.
This is filled with humor and heart and how awkward it is to learn these life lessons.
I think my niece would enjoy this and I am going to recommend it to her. ...more
I thought this book was cool. It’s a memoir or biography about life at the Peet household. At first I thought it might be fiction, but then we get to I thought this book was cool. It’s a memoir or biography about life at the Peet household. At first I thought it might be fiction, but then we get to see inside Bill Peet’s studio and there are drawings of Chester, the Worldly Pig. It was an AH HA moment. His son is confusingly named Bill also and he loved to collect animals he found. He wanted a boa constrictor and the family all said no to that, so he decided to get an animal from South America from the swamps there. It’s a rodent with no tail and a gentle personality. It’s a real animal called a capybara, the largest existing rodent. So, they brought this thing in their home and raised it. This long story is about its adventures living with people.
It’s a fascinating story. Even the Nephew was captivated. This little thing was an interesting animal. I can’t imagine many people in US history owned one. This is a unique story and because it’s true, it’s more interesting.
The artwork is all in black and white, no color. All of Bill’s family are in this story and their home. There are autobiographical moments in here.
Like I stated, the nephew was captivated by this. He couldn’t believe this animal existed. He thought it was a funny little thing and he might want one now. I told him it’s not possible to get one and his dog would hate it. He assigned this 4 stars....more
Here is a collection of poems about life in a pond. They are plenty informative. Have you ever heard of a Wood Duck? Me either. They almost went extinHere is a collection of poems about life in a pond. They are plenty informative. Have you ever heard of a Wood Duck? Me either. They almost went extinct and they are very shy. Each page or so has a poem and then a few facts about the animals being elucidated. The water bear is quite a strange micro-organism I am learning about. Duckweed is an unusual plant that floats on the water. Animals like to eat it. I thought the poetry was good and it brings focus on the small world of the pond. I loved learning about the caddis fly. It makes a shell out of anything on the bottom of the pond and it looks ready for a fashion show. I want to see one in a pond now.
The artwork did a great job of bringing these tiny creatures to life.
The nephew loves bugs and odd things, so he liked the animals in this. He got a little squirmy, but he seemed to like learning about these odd bugs. He liked the caddis fly too. Both kids thought the water bear was pretty gross and I agree. The niece loves fact books and she appreciated the poems in the story about this tiny habitat. She thought this was a great book of facts and she enjoyed the use of poetry to get across the personality of the bug. The nephew gave this 3 stars and the niece gave this 4 stars. ...more
Presidents, presidents everywhere. This book is full of fun and interesting facts about the presidents of the US; the good, the bad and the bizarre. E Presidents, presidents everywhere. This book is full of fun and interesting facts about the presidents of the US; the good, the bad and the bizarre. Each president here is mentioned at least once for something. Most of them have similar names or lived in log cabins - 9. There have been 6 presidents with the name James, 1 went by Jimmy. We learn the tallest, the shortest and the biggest president. Very little judgement is made, but it does talk about Clinton and Nixon telling lies. This was updated in 2012 so Obama is included in the mix here.
I thought this was a fun little facts filled nonfiction book for anyone interested in learning about the presidents of our country. It’s obvious some were much better than others. I have started watching Untold history on Netflix and its a great show about modern presidents and I have been learning so much, so this book is interesting right now. I do hope someday soon we can add a woman to this list. It's much needed now.
The niece loved this book. She loves little facts about things. She gave this 4 stars. The nephew thought some things were funny. He thought Taft being lowered into the bathtub by a crane was funny and some other things, but mostly he wasn’t too interested. He gave this 2 stars. ...more
This is close to a 200 page book. It is for children with large print and pictures on each page. It reads fast and it’s engaging and interesting. I diThis is close to a 200 page book. It is for children with large print and pictures on each page. It reads fast and it’s engaging and interesting. I didn’t know Bill Peet or his work. He was an animator at Disney since Pinnochio. He worked on 101 Dalmations and the Sword in the Stone as the script writer, but he worked on most of the major movies at Disney. One of my favorite scenes from Sleeping Beauty is when the animals are dancing with Beauty and he came up with that. Originally, Walt hated it, but Bill wouldn’t take it out. The rest is history.
Bill also goes on to write his own children’s books. I have never read them, but I have heard of a few of them and they are now on my list to read. Bill gives an honest portrayal of Disney in this and I haven’t seen this side of him before. It’s humanizing. Bill was not one of the Disney’s 9 old men, but he did seem to have his hand in parts of most of the movies and many shorts. He wrote, Lambert the Sheepish lion and I loved that one growing up.
I think there was an error with the library book I had. It has a Newbery Honor seal on the book, but it didn’t win a Newbery award. It won the Caldecott Honor medal and that’s not on the book, Interesting eh. . It is long and I didn’t read this to the kids. I read this for myself. I want to know more about that time at Disney. Man, the behind the scenes stuff was fascinating.
Bill has a good story and I’m glad he shared it with us....more
This is a wordless comic book about a dog and a robot who are supposed friends. They spend a day at the beach and the rWhat the Happy Crappy was this?
This is a wordless comic book about a dog and a robot who are supposed friends. They spend a day at the beach and the robot rusts and can't move and it's the last day of the season and the dog leaves the robot there. He doesn't climb over the fence to help him or ask authorities to help. He leaves the robot alone on the beach throughout the entire winter. It's horrible. I mean horrible.
Then the dog moves on and goes out and buys another robot. In May when the beach re-opens he does go back and the robot was removed by a junker. At the end, the robot sees the dog and nothing happens. I mean what is the point of this story. It is terrible and makes little sense. The dog is a dog and horrible. It's like this book is a lesson in how to be a terrible friend. What's the worst thing you can do to a friend and then, lets do it. I mean - horrible.
I don't like the art here and the story is about abandonment. IT's horrible. My word. This is a miss for First Second. I see people giving this 4 and 5 stars and I guess I'm missing something here. I don't see what they see. It's not sad, it's sadistic. ...more
The whole point of this is that you don't have to be a great artist to make a comic. It is a great learning tool and tells an amusing little story to The whole point of this is that you don't have to be a great artist to make a comic. It is a great learning tool and tells an amusing little story to teach the basics of comics. While a person can certainly tell a story, I do expect good visual with graphic novels. I hated the art in this thing. I want more.
This would be great for anyone interesting in comic writing. It would be a great resource. ...more
I enjoyed this sweet book. Lois uses Gooney Bird as a way to teach children how to tell good stories because Gooney Bird is a natural story telling. TI enjoyed this sweet book. Lois uses Gooney Bird as a way to teach children how to tell good stories because Gooney Bird is a natural story telling. Throughout the book she gives tips for story telling. Plus, Gooney Bird is awesome. She is a great character who I am glad to have meet. I can't believe I didn't know her until now.
I want to know more about the quirky character called Gooney. Fun times for kids reading on their own for the first time....more
There is a lot of talk about scrotum in this story. Strange and somewhat funny. I do like that Brigitte is French. What can I say? I love the French. There is a lot of talk about scrotum in this story. Strange and somewhat funny. I do like that Brigitte is French. What can I say? I love the French.
This story did not draw me in. It really didn't land much for me. There were some character moments that were good, but I didn't feel the story had much direction or a whole lot to say. I did appreciate Lucky searching for her higher power. That was interesting.
Otherwise, I don't have a whole lot to say on the book. It did win the Newberry and I would not have chosen this book for the Medal - that's just me. It's an ok story, but not a great story. ...more
I'm so glad someone decided to write this history down for people. There are many things in this book that I didn't know and pay attention to during tI'm so glad someone decided to write this history down for people. There are many things in this book that I didn't know and pay attention to during this national crisis. I knew people died and I didn't think of them floating in the streets. I didn't realize the government let these people fight for their lives.
This is a powerful story. It is short and sad and honest I feel. There is much suffering in these pages with some hope at the end. What is so damaging is having the oil and gas leak into the water. It sounds like it was pure hell. A reason to always leave town when given a warning to leave. I know many of these people didn't have the means to leave. I think much was learned from this disaster.
The art is vague and the events are so horrific, I think it needs to be. Powerful and heartbreaking. ...more
The story of Rapunzel set in the wild west. I love how she uses her hair as lasso's. It's a fun story through and through. There are plenty of hints tThe story of Rapunzel set in the wild west. I love how she uses her hair as lasso's. It's a fun story through and through. There are plenty of hints that her friend is Jack from Jack and the beanstalk and he has problems with giants back home. There is plenty of action and fun to be had in this tale.
This was better than I thought it would be. It really was a whole lot of fun. Plenty of twists and turns and the ending was fantastic. Plenty of magic and fairytale in this story. I would recommend this to anyone into the genre or a young reader who likes action and fairytale upgrades. ...more
I have been hearing so much about these books. I saw the first movie and it was very funny and smart. I even saw the float in the Macy's Thanksgiving I have been hearing so much about these books. I saw the first movie and it was very funny and smart. I even saw the float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and I decided, ok, I need to read this. I picked it up.
This is smartly told with some honesty. There are several times it is honest enough I don't really like Greg. He is telling it like it is. We want to be liked. This is about middle school, humanity in the raw. These years are ripe for humorous riffing.
I believe my favorite scene is the play of the Wizard of Oz. That was so funny. I'm glad I gave this beloved novel a read. It was worth it. ...more
This is similar to Charlie's Angels if they were scientists. Louis, a scientist enlists the help of 3 brilliant women to study great primates. They goThis is similar to Charlie's Angels if they were scientists. Louis, a scientist enlists the help of 3 brilliant women to study great primates. They go out and become part of the primate pack and bring back lots of data. The 3 women weave in and out together from time to time. The story is mostly told in 3 parts and each women gets a part.
Jane Goodall is recruited first to study chimps. Dian Fossey is next to study Gorillas and if you have seen the 80s movie Gorillas in the Mist go see it now and then finish this review. Birute Galdikas went to Indonesia to study the Orangutans.
I had never head of Birute Galdikas before. I thought this was a great introduction to these amazing women and they are strong female women from real life. The art was safe and fun. Louis said women are more patient and better to be accepted into a society. He also thought they were smarter. He was correct....more
A great read. I enjoyed the story and wow, I had no idea that orthodontists could move teeth that dramatically. I mean this girl really went through aA great read. I enjoyed the story and wow, I had no idea that orthodontists could move teeth that dramatically. I mean this girl really went through a lot with her teeth. She knocked out her front two teeth. She went through some hell here.
This is a great coming of age story with great colors and fun art. The story was fun and fast and honest.
This is a great book. It's a good adventure story for early teens. I think it should have won the Newberry Medal for 1988 and so it goes.
Brian has toThis is a great book. It's a good adventure story for early teens. I think it should have won the Newberry Medal for 1988 and so it goes.
Brian has to survive in the Canadian Woods on his own for a summer. He learns to make fire, shelter and hunt for fish and birds. There is also a divorce theme going on as Brian's parents have recently split.
This is your typical survival tale. Brian does face some harsh environments and he learns to be tough physically and more importantly - mentally. He doesn't give in to feeling sorry for himself. This is very well written and there is a reason it is so popular. I will read more of the Brian Saga. ...more
This is a book with honesty and heart. Gilly is no angel - she's tough. She wants her mom. Gilly is in the foster care system and she feels you have tThis is a book with honesty and heart. Gilly is no angel - she's tough. She wants her mom. Gilly is in the foster care system and she feels you have to be tough to survive life; you can't need anyone's help. She is smart and capable and she knows it and she also knows how to use that as a weapon.
This book was powerful and it moved me. I was brought into a way of life not my own. I think this is a fantastic book. Well written, strong characters and a subject matter would could all do with knowing more about.
This is the best line from the book:
"But I always thougth that when my mother cam..." "My sweet baby, ain't no one ever told you yet? I reckon I thought you had that all figured out." "What?" "That all that stuff about happy endings is lies. The only ending in this world is death. Now that might or might not be happy, but either way you ain't ready to die, are you?"
That is powerful writing right there. All laid out for us in plain language, boom. I say read this book, it will seep into you and leave something inside you....more
I started this story in June. I spent April, May and the beginning of June reading about 20-25 books a month or so and naturally, I burned myself out.I started this story in June. I spent April, May and the beginning of June reading about 20-25 books a month or so and naturally, I burned myself out. All this to say, the reason I stopped reading this marvelous book has nothing to do with the book. It was just where I was at.
This little gem is amazing. I love Rita's prose and the way she tells the story. I don't know a whole lot about Black Panther history to be honest, accept the movies that show it from the white perspective and they always seem to make it look intense and scary.
Rita sets her story in Oakland, CA during the 60s in a community of the Black Panthers. In the author's note, Rita does tell us that some places in the country, the Panthers were different, but she shares her experiences with the Panthers.
Delphine, an 11 year old girl is the eyes of this story and her 2 other sisters, Vonetta and Fern. They are flying from NY where they live with their father to San Fran to spend a month with their mother who left after Fern was born.
Immediately, life is jarring and different from the love filled home they are used to. Cecile is not a normal mother figure. She doesn't cook or allow them in her kitchen where she works writing her poetry. The girls have to go out into this new city and get take out from mean Lady Ming for dinner and in the morning Cecile tells them to go to the center for breakfast and don't come back until dinner.
The center is the heart of the neighborhood and there are Black Panthers with guns patrolling the area along with policemen. The girls meet people at breakfast and then they attend the summer camp where they learn about rights and standing up for freedom. It makes for an interesting summer.
The girls have to learn to fit in and it's a different world for them. There is one day they take the bus from Oakland to San Francisco and see the town.
This is a story about community and having to depend on your neighbors for survival. The girls do have some good times and some not so good times. At the end of the summer there is a rally that everyone attends and the girls read some poetry. Delphine and her mother grow up that summer and they begin to understand each other.
It's a beautiful story, beautifully told. It opened my eyes to the past and wow, so much of the injustice people are standing up to now is the same issues they were dealing with back in the 60s.
Its fair to say that each community had their own idea of what the Black Panthers were about, but ultimately, they were trying to bring safety to the minority community. They were trying to stand up for their rights and their needs and make their world better. This community did a free breakfast each morning to help feed the people. They were building community and trying to uplift their community out of poverty.
It's so easy to forget or ignore that every time in our history when black people have tried to better themselves, people came in and ripped their community apart, places like Rosewood and many others. We are told to just pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, but black people have tried and they have been intentionally put down in our history. Things have been changing over the past 20 years, but its still a slow change.
This book is a fantastic and it is a great way to step into this community and experience life for these girls in the late 60s. It was a troubled time, but there were still some good times to be had in all that.
This book is fantastic and everyone should read it in school. ...more
Great book. Such a fun memoir to read. This is an honest telling of what it is to be raised hearing impaired. Fun little stories and fun art and the tGreat book. Such a fun memoir to read. This is an honest telling of what it is to be raised hearing impaired. Fun little stories and fun art and the telling is simple and honest. El Deafo jumps off the page. I get why this was considered for the Newberry and got an Honor. I think anyone can enjoy this book and enrich your life. So glad I gave this book a go....more
Patricia did some amazing character development for such a short story. With this, you are in and you're out. A family lost their mother and Sarah ansPatricia did some amazing character development for such a short story. With this, you are in and you're out. A family lost their mother and Sarah answers an ad in the paper. They write letters back and forth. Sarah goes from Maine to the plains. The kids love Sarah. There is a big Squall to be the big piece of this book.
It was a quick, enjoyable read. If you loved Little house on the Prairie, then you need to read this too. Great for 3rd and 4th grade readers....more
This has been on my shelf for a while and on my TBR and it’s thin, very compact size; only 89 pages. Today, I sat down and read this. Now, it comes ofThis has been on my shelf for a while and on my TBR and it’s thin, very compact size; only 89 pages. Today, I sat down and read this. Now, it comes off my TBR.
I knew nothing of this story, but I was pleasantly surprised how this middle grade classic unfolded. A whipping boy is the boy who is whipped instead of a prince since a prince cannot be whipped by law. The prince gets in trouble and some unlucky boy has to take his punishment. It sounds horrible. But this boy learns to read and write while the prince will not.
One day the prince is so bored with life that he decides to run away with the whipping boy and out in the world it’s the boy who knows how to survive and not the prince. The prince begins to learn some life lessons, finally. There are some good adventures.
It’s a nice story that reminded me of the Prince and Pauper somewhat. I love being able to sit down and read a book in one sitting. It took me just a little over an hour to read this whole story and I think that is a little of the appeal of middle grade. You can read them in close to a sitting, well, not the new books which are much longer. I love the tomes as well. I love to sink into a long book, but it’s nice to have both. I guess short stories are the same way.
I’m glad I read this work. There are some great books that won the Newbery. I’m constantly reminded of that....more
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