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jenbsbooks's Reviews (2.41k)
I remember this book/series as a favorite when I was young, 40+ years ago. It was one we read as a family, so sentimental to the siblings as well. Utah/Mormon connection. I'm fairly sure I re-read it as a teen, and adult, but still before keeping track on Goodreads. So during #middlegradeMay I figured I'd do an official re-read (and I went with the audiobook). I have the physical book ready for the Little Free Library (I already have one on my personal shelves).
It's surprising how much I still remembered ... but there were likely multiple re-reads when I was young (before ebooks and access became so easy).
A very conversational, 1st person (past-tense). One might notice that the main character, JD, shares the same name as the author. Are these true stories of his youth? Unlike most books today, there isn't an "About the Author" section, or author's notes to clarify. He was born and raised in a small, southern Utah town, he had a brother named Tom, and I'm sure there was some inspiration from his life, but ... fiction.
This is just a simple tale(s) of early life - before indoor plumbing, when kids ran free and played tag and marbles. The Fitzgerald family isn't Mormon, but there are many Mormon families around, as well as ZCMI, etc. JD is the youngest of three brothers, and Tom, the middle brother, has "A Great Brain" and is often using it to think of things others haven't, do get ahead and make a little money (although many see his shenanigans as "swindles") ...
There are eight chapters, little situations, some singular to the chapter, others that continue to run through the rest of the book ...
1. The Magic Water Closet (Pa is one of the first to install indoor plumbing! Tom sells tickets to the town kids to check it out).
2. Revenge Can Be Sour (Measles! Mumps! Ma likes to get childhood diseases over with, so if one gets something, they all do).
3. The Great Brain Saves the Day (Kids lost in a cave ...)
4. Abie Glassman Finds a Home (a little sad ... his story continued in Ch6)
5. Greek Immigrant (Tom helps a new kid find his place in the gang ...)
6. A Wreath for Abie
7. The New Teacher (new teachers gets on the wrong end of Tom's Great Brain)
8. The Great Brain's Reformation (trigger warning/suicide, boy with a peg leg doesn't feel like he should continue living, Tom turns things around ... and reforms?)
... funny, the book ends with "Things got mighty dull after The Great Brain decided to give up his crooked ways and to walk the straight and narrow. So dull Papa didn’t even bother to come upstairs and see if Tom was in bed the night the schoolhouse burned down. So dull there is no more to tell." BUT apparently there was more (and Tom wasn't really reformed). I remember "Me and My Little Brain" being a favorite of mine, and my sister's favorite was "The Great Brain at the Academy" which was memorable (as Tom would buy candy at home, then sneak them into school and sell them there for a profit). I remember in one of the books, he started with something small, and traded/traded/traded until he ended up with something really great. Nothing Tom does is BAD, and when confronted, he usually can justify and explain things away enough to confuse JD (and the reader?)
It does feel a little dated (written in 1967) ... my kids weren't interested in reading them. There are original illustrations by Mercer Mayer (the LittleCritter books). I was really surprised the pictures (not a ton) weren't included in the Kindle copy. My physical book has an updated cover, but still the MM illustrations inside.
It's surprising how much I still remembered ... but there were likely multiple re-reads when I was young (before ebooks and access became so easy).
A very conversational, 1st person (past-tense). One might notice that the main character, JD, shares the same name as the author. Are these true stories of his youth? Unlike most books today, there isn't an "About the Author" section, or author's notes to clarify. He was born and raised in a small, southern Utah town, he had a brother named Tom, and I'm sure there was some inspiration from his life, but ... fiction.
This is just a simple tale(s) of early life - before indoor plumbing, when kids ran free and played tag and marbles. The Fitzgerald family isn't Mormon, but there are many Mormon families around, as well as ZCMI, etc. JD is the youngest of three brothers, and Tom, the middle brother, has "A Great Brain" and is often using it to think of things others haven't, do get ahead and make a little money (although many see his shenanigans as "swindles") ...
There are eight chapters, little situations, some singular to the chapter, others that continue to run through the rest of the book ...
1. The Magic Water Closet (Pa is one of the first to install indoor plumbing! Tom sells tickets to the town kids to check it out).
2. Revenge Can Be Sour (Measles! Mumps! Ma likes to get childhood diseases over with, so if one gets something, they all do).
3. The Great Brain Saves the Day (Kids lost in a cave ...)
4. Abie Glassman Finds a Home (a little sad ... his story continued in Ch6)
5. Greek Immigrant (Tom helps a new kid find his place in the gang ...)
6. A Wreath for Abie
7. The New Teacher (new teachers gets on the wrong end of Tom's Great Brain)
8. The Great Brain's Reformation (trigger warning/suicide, boy with a peg leg doesn't feel like he should continue living, Tom turns things around ... and reforms?)
... funny, the book ends with "Things got mighty dull after The Great Brain decided to give up his crooked ways and to walk the straight and narrow. So dull Papa didn’t even bother to come upstairs and see if Tom was in bed the night the schoolhouse burned down. So dull there is no more to tell." BUT apparently there was more (and Tom wasn't really reformed). I remember "Me and My Little Brain" being a favorite of mine, and my sister's favorite was "The Great Brain at the Academy" which was memorable (as Tom would buy candy at home, then sneak them into school and sell them there for a profit). I remember in one of the books, he started with something small, and traded/traded/traded until he ended up with something really great. Nothing Tom does is BAD, and when confronted, he usually can justify and explain things away enough to confuse JD (and the reader?)
It does feel a little dated (written in 1967) ... my kids weren't interested in reading them. There are original illustrations by Mercer Mayer (the LittleCritter books). I was really surprised the pictures (not a ton) weren't included in the Kindle copy. My physical book has an updated cover, but still the MM illustrations inside.
I liked this a lot ... similar to the blockbuster movie, there is a lot of "before" as we meet Hazel and Charlie and a few other characters, and get a bit of a mystery. The iceberg doesn't hit until almost 75% of the way through. Young Hazel, bent on being a reporter, and "having a bad feeling" does quite a bit of research and questioning before the event, so we/the reader also have plenty of premonitions ... although anyone coming into the book already knows what is going to happen. I felt like I learned a little more about some of the issues (there was a coal fire early on - did that weaken the sides? The low life boat count, "refraction" lesson ... and why that could make seeing/avoiding icebergs so difficult).
1st person ... from the MC (12 year old girl) Hazel's POV. Past tense.
46 chronological chapters ... as mentioned, the iceberg doesn't hit until late, chapter 35. Chapter 1 ... perhaps that should have been a prologue? It was set "after" everything, very short, then Ch2 shifts to the start ... "Everything Seemed Perfect" Wednesday, April 10, 1912. The chapters had headers, which weren't included in the Table of Contents in the audio or Kindle copy (per usual, the physical book doesn't even deign to provide a TOC at all)m but the headers honestly didn't add much.
I liked the storyline, although much of seemed to fall into basic tropes (a young MC who somehow sees what others don't, just happening to overhear the 'bad guys' plans, surviving against all odds, instant friendships). The "something feeling off" and "trusting instincts" got a little repetitive for me.
I don't know if I really understood the "mystery" (the adults stealing money, stocks) but don't care enough to re-read to clarify. A few things in the end wrapped up a little too perfectly (under the circumstances).
I appreciated the Author's Notes at the end, clarifying some of the items, what had been fictionalized for the book, what was based on fact. While I always read the Author's Notes (and I get the Kindle/physical book to check, in case these haven't been included in the audio ... here they were, and narrated by the author herself, which makes it much more personal) I don't always read the Acknowledgements, but here I was glad they were included, and that I kept listening. The author's statement ... "life itself is a survival story. At some point, we must each face our icebergs. Some are more difficult than others, but the solution is always the same: Get on the lifeboat. That lifeboat is a friend or family member, or anyone you trust to keep you afloat. So if at any point you feel like you are sinking, don’t stop; don’t freeze. Just get on the lifeboat." well, that hit me as hard as anything in the book!
I also liked the exchange in Ch14 between Hazel and Mrs. Ableman, as Hazel wanted to research, but the library is on the deck for 1st/2nd class passengers ... and MrsA says "“That’s where the books are that you need, and books should be for everyone.”
Other words I note: snuck ... said in the dedication and several times (x7) throughout (I'm a "snuck" girl myself, but many prefer "sneaked" ... so I just tend to notice it). Carnegie was pronounced Car-NEG-ee (original pronunciation/name). A song "you take the high road" was mentioned and when MrsA sings it, it was sung (very haltingly, which fit the moment) in audio. The audio was accented, as Hazel was from England. The narrator did a great job.
1st person ... from the MC (12 year old girl) Hazel's POV. Past tense.
46 chronological chapters ... as mentioned, the iceberg doesn't hit until late, chapter 35. Chapter 1 ... perhaps that should have been a prologue? It was set "after" everything, very short, then Ch2 shifts to the start ... "Everything Seemed Perfect" Wednesday, April 10, 1912. The chapters had headers, which weren't included in the Table of Contents in the audio or Kindle copy (per usual, the physical book doesn't even deign to provide a TOC at all)m but the headers honestly didn't add much.
I liked the storyline, although much of seemed to fall into basic tropes (a young MC who somehow sees what others don't, just happening to overhear the 'bad guys' plans, surviving against all odds, instant friendships). The "something feeling off" and "trusting instincts" got a little repetitive for me.
I don't know if I really understood the "mystery" (the adults stealing money, stocks) but don't care enough to re-read to clarify. A few things in the end wrapped up a little too perfectly (under the circumstances).
I appreciated the Author's Notes at the end, clarifying some of the items, what had been fictionalized for the book, what was based on fact. While I always read the Author's Notes (and I get the Kindle/physical book to check, in case these haven't been included in the audio ... here they were, and narrated by the author herself, which makes it much more personal) I don't always read the Acknowledgements, but here I was glad they were included, and that I kept listening. The author's statement ... "life itself is a survival story. At some point, we must each face our icebergs. Some are more difficult than others, but the solution is always the same: Get on the lifeboat. That lifeboat is a friend or family member, or anyone you trust to keep you afloat. So if at any point you feel like you are sinking, don’t stop; don’t freeze. Just get on the lifeboat." well, that hit me as hard as anything in the book!
I also liked the exchange in Ch14 between Hazel and Mrs. Ableman, as Hazel wanted to research, but the library is on the deck for 1st/2nd class passengers ... and MrsA says "“That’s where the books are that you need, and books should be for everyone.”
Other words I note: snuck ... said in the dedication and several times (x7) throughout (I'm a "snuck" girl myself, but many prefer "sneaked" ... so I just tend to notice it). Carnegie was pronounced Car-NEG-ee (original pronunciation/name). A song "you take the high road" was mentioned and when MrsA sings it, it was sung (very haltingly, which fit the moment) in audio. The audio was accented, as Hazel was from England. The narrator did a great job.
This was my 2nd "I Survived" book ... I had a stack of them, and figured I should read at least one during my #middlegradeMay challenge. I'd read [book:The Children's Blizzard|53425138] and remember being a bit haunted by it.
I went primarily with the audio, but had the Kindle and a physical copy. The cover has a decent image, but all of the chapters started with the image of a covered wagon in a prairie. This just didn't fit for me, the trek was done, they people were settled into houses, kids going to schools ... why is there a picture of this covered wagon over and over? It really annoyed me!
This starts with the "drop you right into the action" ploy (chap1) then goes back in time and builds up to that moment. It's a technique that is used a lot in movies and books, but I dislike it. It's a spoiler, although in this case ... we do pretty much know there's going to be a blizzard. I never was exactly sure when we caught up to this scene, it was never recreated exactly.
There were 21 chapters, and the blizzard is in chapters 14-18 ... it was a rather slow build-up before (despite chapter1). The chapters were very short, often ending on a cliffhanger moment. I did think that it is more interesting to learn about historical events in a fictionalized story like this.
In audio, the book itself had a male narrator, and he did a good job. At the end, there were Author's Notes (My Prairie Journey) and some Q&A about the time/location and blizzard. Here again, much of it was general stuff, not directly about the blizzard (how big was the US in 1888, did the grasshopper attacks really happen, prairie life ...) Per the title, the BLIZZARD was my main interest. I believe it was the author (it was a narrator change, female) voicing this part, and I was grateful for that. It makes it so much more personal.
I went primarily with the audio, but had the Kindle and a physical copy. The cover has a decent image, but all of the chapters started with the image of a covered wagon in a prairie. This just didn't fit for me, the trek was done, they people were settled into houses, kids going to schools ... why is there a picture of this covered wagon over and over? It really annoyed me!
This starts with the "drop you right into the action" ploy (chap1) then goes back in time and builds up to that moment. It's a technique that is used a lot in movies and books, but I dislike it. It's a spoiler, although in this case ... we do pretty much know there's going to be a blizzard. I never was exactly sure when we caught up to this scene, it was never recreated exactly.
There were 21 chapters, and the blizzard is in chapters 14-18 ... it was a rather slow build-up before (despite chapter1). The chapters were very short, often ending on a cliffhanger moment. I did think that it is more interesting to learn about historical events in a fictionalized story like this.
In audio, the book itself had a male narrator, and he did a good job. At the end, there were Author's Notes (My Prairie Journey) and some Q&A about the time/location and blizzard. Here again, much of it was general stuff, not directly about the blizzard (how big was the US in 1888, did the grasshopper attacks really happen, prairie life ...) Per the title, the BLIZZARD was my main interest. I believe it was the author (it was a narrator change, female) voicing this part, and I was grateful for that. It makes it so much more personal.
I am trying to get some "eye reading" in, and this book didn't have audio, so that was really my only option. It took me a few days to get through, and it was dragging a bit in the end. Perhaps part of the problem is that [book:And Then, Boom!|195888819] was a recent read, and it had so many similarities (young boy abandoned by parents to survive on his own. Contemporary, so still going to school, getting the free breakfast/lunch there. Dumpster diving. Starving. Dog companion. Wanting to avoid social services). Boom was a little more unique (and quick, and memorable) with it's verse set-up, and I think this book suffered a bit in comparison.
Here, there was a little more "survival" in the woods. Fishing and fires and a wild coyote. Despite the days being "normal" at school, this was a little reminiscent of Hatchet (by Gary Paulsen) which is a family favorite. I laughed a little when Raymond checked Hatchet out of the school library.
I struggled a bit with the coyote ... it seemed more like a dog. Would a wild animal be as tame as Hank was? Another recent read was [book:The Tiger Rising|37187] and unfortunately, there was some similarity to that in the end.
The blurb mentions this could be "My Side of the Mountain" meets "How to Steal a Dog" ... I haven't read either of those, although I have heard of the former. I will put them on my list, but I think I need a break from "kid trying to survive" stories. Who knew my #middlegradeMay would be SO tragic?
I did have a couple highlight/notes ....
*It was easier to choose to be alone, rather than have someone force it on you.
*Sometimes there are worse things than being alone.
*** he wished he had an axe, or even a hatchet (aren't they really about the same thing? Hatchet is a small axe). How did he open the cans? I guess they could have been pop-top? There were two "let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding" (this IS a thing, but it's also being mocked in a few Facebook groups, it's in a LOT of books). "racked" his brain ... I think it's written "wracked" most of the time? Caught a "brim" ... is that a fish? I even Googled and it wasn't obvious, just seems obscure, maybe use something more known?
Words I note: riffled, cacophony
Here, there was a little more "survival" in the woods. Fishing and fires and a wild coyote. Despite the days being "normal" at school, this was a little reminiscent of Hatchet (by Gary Paulsen) which is a family favorite. I laughed a little when Raymond checked Hatchet out of the school library.
I struggled a bit with the coyote ... it seemed more like a dog. Would a wild animal be as tame as Hank was? Another recent read was [book:The Tiger Rising|37187] and unfortunately, there was some similarity to that in the end.
The blurb mentions this could be "My Side of the Mountain" meets "How to Steal a Dog" ... I haven't read either of those, although I have heard of the former. I will put them on my list, but I think I need a break from "kid trying to survive" stories. Who knew my #middlegradeMay would be SO tragic?
I did have a couple highlight/notes ....
*It was easier to choose to be alone, rather than have someone force it on you.
*Sometimes there are worse things than being alone.
*** he wished he had an axe, or even a hatchet (aren't they really about the same thing? Hatchet is a small axe). How did he open the cans? I guess they could have been pop-top? There were two "let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding" (this IS a thing, but it's also being mocked in a few Facebook groups, it's in a LOT of books). "racked" his brain ... I think it's written "wracked" most of the time? Caught a "brim" ... is that a fish? I even Googled and it wasn't obvious, just seems obscure, maybe use something more known?
Words I note: riffled, cacophony
I've had a bit of an odd relationship with this book. I have had a hard copy on my library shelves for years. It's survived the purging as I whittled down books I was keeping. I had started this years ago ... reading, then switching to audio (back before I was really doing audio) but I didn't finish it. It's only around 100 pages, should have been such a quick and easy read. Why didn't I ever finish? I remember going back once ... and again not finishing. No reason, not an official DNF, just ... peetered out.
During my #MiddleGradeMay challenge, I figured I should finally finish the book. And I did. It's just over two hours in audio (and that's if you go at 1.0 speed, which I did not). MC is young Rob, and it's basically all from his POV, 3rd person, past tense. 30 chapters (no headers).
My initial thoughts? Well that was sad, and why is this considered a classic? It wasn't something I connected with.
There were some discussion questions in the text ... I had both the Kindle and physical book. Just six questions in the Kindle, more (same six to start, then eight more and some suggested tie-in activities. The physical book was a Scholastic 2002 printing). I Googled, and found quite a few "school" sites with questions/activities too. While I like simply reading for enjoyment, when there is an "assignment" (school/bookclub) to dive a little deeper, that often ups the appreciation. And that happened here. The more I read and thought and re-read portions. Looked up the trailer to the movie adaptation ... and I do feel a pull to watch it (it's on Hulu/Disney, not currently one of our streaming services). One website had a compare/contrast the book/movie, what changes, and how did that impact things, and even without having watched the movie, it did make me think about things.
So ... not one I LOVED, one easily dismissed with a quick read, but after more thought, it has its moments and it will be one I'll remember.
During my #MiddleGradeMay challenge, I figured I should finally finish the book. And I did. It's just over two hours in audio (and that's if you go at 1.0 speed, which I did not). MC is young Rob, and it's basically all from his POV, 3rd person, past tense. 30 chapters (no headers).
My initial thoughts? Well that was sad, and why is this considered a classic? It wasn't something I connected with.
There were some discussion questions in the text ... I had both the Kindle and physical book. Just six questions in the Kindle, more (same six to start, then eight more and some suggested tie-in activities. The physical book was a Scholastic 2002 printing). I Googled, and found quite a few "school" sites with questions/activities too. While I like simply reading for enjoyment, when there is an "assignment" (school/bookclub) to dive a little deeper, that often ups the appreciation. And that happened here. The more I read and thought and re-read portions. Looked up the trailer to the movie adaptation ... and I do feel a pull to watch it (it's on Hulu/Disney, not currently one of our streaming services). One website had a compare/contrast the book/movie, what changes, and how did that impact things, and even without having watched the movie, it did make me think about things.
So ... not one I LOVED, one easily dismissed with a quick read, but after more thought, it has its moments and it will be one I'll remember.
I liked this a lot. I have seen the movie Hidden Pictures (haven't read the book, it has some mixed reviews, one of the few where it's said the movie is better? There's also a "young readers" version ...) This covers some of the same material (and the movie is mentioned), although it is a memoir, starting in the early years, a full life history. Many of the events that affected both science and black history also get quite a bit of focus.
This IS middle grade reading ... I wonder how some of the phrasing/tone would differ if it was written for an adult audience. Just a statement like "Back then the same people we now call African American or Black were called Colored or Negro. (It’s important not to use those words to describe people today or you will certainly offend them.)" felt a little elementary teacher/student, and perhaps the slightest confusion, as "Colored" is then used over 200 times in the text (it is in the past perspective, not "today" but I could see that being a point of confusion for some children?)
Just seven chapters and an epilogue ... I wished a little for headers, so that I could check the Table of Contents and remember what was in each. I went primarily with the audiobook, but had the Kindle copy for reference and re-reading portions. There were photographs sprinkled throughout, and not "illustrations" per se, but little images of math equations at the start of chapters, and flowy ***** (stars!) to divide sections of text.
Ch1 was the basic early life.
Ch2 1920-1930s ... the family moves to West Virginia for better education. Some general history of black education (or lack thereof), the Great Depression, Jesse Owens, racial violence...
Ch3 Graduated, Teaching job, Move to Marion. Marriage ...
Ch4 WW2, Babies, house fire,
Ch5 Newport, history/EmmettTill, RedScare, Brown vs Board of Education, Langly/NACA, Jimmie diagnosis and death
Ch6 NASA, Sputnik, Civil Rights act of 1957 (and background/segregation), Freedom 7/Alan Shepard, John Glenn), 2nd marriage, Kennedy assassination...
Ch7 Landing on the moon
Epilogue
Whenever I read non-fiction, I get a little stressed about remembering dates/facts ... will there be a test? Should I be remembering these things forever more? I really TRY but the details tend to fade. I know I've learned of almost all these things before, but it was a good re-fresher, and very interesting being from a 1st-person perspective.
As I embarked on my #middlegradeMay challenge, I was thinking I wouldn't get much non-fiction in. I didn't really have any in my TBR stack. I did a search of mg non-fiction, and this popped up as a recommendation. Available to borrow from the library in audio and Kindle.
This IS middle grade reading ... I wonder how some of the phrasing/tone would differ if it was written for an adult audience. Just a statement like "Back then the same people we now call African American or Black were called Colored or Negro. (It’s important not to use those words to describe people today or you will certainly offend them.)" felt a little elementary teacher/student, and perhaps the slightest confusion, as "Colored" is then used over 200 times in the text (it is in the past perspective, not "today" but I could see that being a point of confusion for some children?)
Just seven chapters and an epilogue ... I wished a little for headers, so that I could check the Table of Contents and remember what was in each. I went primarily with the audiobook, but had the Kindle copy for reference and re-reading portions. There were photographs sprinkled throughout, and not "illustrations" per se, but little images of math equations at the start of chapters, and flowy ***** (stars!) to divide sections of text.
Ch1 was the basic early life.
Ch2 1920-1930s ... the family moves to West Virginia for better education. Some general history of black education (or lack thereof), the Great Depression, Jesse Owens, racial violence...
Ch3 Graduated, Teaching job, Move to Marion. Marriage ...
Ch4 WW2, Babies, house fire,
Ch5 Newport, history/EmmettTill, RedScare, Brown vs Board of Education, Langly/NACA, Jimmie diagnosis and death
Ch6 NASA, Sputnik, Civil Rights act of 1957 (and background/segregation), Freedom 7/Alan Shepard, John Glenn), 2nd marriage, Kennedy assassination...
Ch7 Landing on the moon
Epilogue
Whenever I read non-fiction, I get a little stressed about remembering dates/facts ... will there be a test? Should I be remembering these things forever more? I really TRY but the details tend to fade. I know I've learned of almost all these things before, but it was a good re-fresher, and very interesting being from a 1st-person perspective.
As I embarked on my #middlegradeMay challenge, I was thinking I wouldn't get much non-fiction in. I didn't really have any in my TBR stack. I did a search of mg non-fiction, and this popped up as a recommendation. Available to borrow from the library in audio and Kindle.
This wasn't one of the books I had on my radar (TBR stack) for my #MiddleGradeMay challenge, but as I have some young nieces, I figured I'd ask if there were any books that were a favorite for them, and this one (which I hadn't heard of before) was mentioned. I did really like it, but my initial "adult doing a quick read of a middle-grade book" probably would have been a 3/5* star rating. After glancing at the included discussion questions, and re-reading portions (I went with the audiobook, but I also checked out the Kindle copy), I think this bumped it up to at least 4.5* I see there are sequels - I haven't fully committed to reading them, yet.
1st person, past tense. 39 numerical chapters. The "voice" here was very conversational.
In addition to Aven, there is Conner, who has Tourette's. I've known a couple of people with Tourette's, but much milder cases. It was interesting to see how both children coped, how they treated each other (their own situation maybe making them more compassionate towards others?) as well as Aven's parent's easy acceptance of Conner. And Aven's connection to Spaghetti. ;)
Honestly - I struggled a bit to picture Aven being able to do as much as she does here ... but I did a search and found some videos of people in a similar situation, one of a 10 year old girl, so that helped me visualize and accept it more (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWBnQj-bEjo).
I appreciate a title tie-in (and a unique/clever title) ... Ch8 discusses the cactus (and it has like seven arms!) and how long it lives, and the "insignificance" of these "little" tribulations (in that perspective). Growing up in the LDS church, there is a bit of that (this Earth life in light of the whole eternity perspective) ... and honestly, that was always something I struggled with a bit. To continue the cactus theme ... Aven played a cactus in a play once, and while not noticeable in audio format, in print, the big chapter numbers are little spiky cactus numbers.
Beyond the personal struggles of our characters (and there is also an overweight boy Aven and Conner befriend ... this little trio reminded me a bit of the three "outcast" characters in "Friends For Life" by Andrew Norris, which is is another mg/ya dealing with some serious stuff, a favorite of mine (that I have recommended) ... ANYWAY, beyond that, there's a bit of a mystery that gets unraveled, with a satisfactory conclusion (to me).
1st person, past tense. 39 numerical chapters. The "voice" here was very conversational.
In addition to Aven, there is Conner, who has Tourette's. I've known a couple of people with Tourette's, but much milder cases. It was interesting to see how both children coped, how they treated each other (their own situation maybe making them more compassionate towards others?) as well as Aven's parent's easy acceptance of Conner. And Aven's connection to Spaghetti. ;)
Honestly - I struggled a bit to picture Aven being able to do as much as she does here ... but I did a search and found some videos of people in a similar situation, one of a 10 year old girl, so that helped me visualize and accept it more (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWBnQj-bEjo).
I appreciate a title tie-in (and a unique/clever title) ... Ch8 discusses the cactus (and it has like seven arms!) and how long it lives, and the "insignificance" of these "little" tribulations (in that perspective). Growing up in the LDS church, there is a bit of that (this Earth life in light of the whole eternity perspective) ... and honestly, that was always something I struggled with a bit. To continue the cactus theme ... Aven played a cactus in a play once, and while not noticeable in audio format, in print, the big chapter numbers are little spiky cactus numbers.
Beyond the personal struggles of our characters (and there is also an overweight boy Aven and Conner befriend ... this little trio reminded me a bit of the three "outcast" characters in "Friends For Life" by Andrew Norris, which is is another mg/ya dealing with some serious stuff, a favorite of mine (that I have recommended) ... ANYWAY, beyond that, there's a bit of a mystery that gets unraveled, with a satisfactory conclusion (to me).
I liked this ... I'm not sure how much I'll remember it, or if I'll continue with the series (there's just SO much to read out there ...) I didn't find myself stopping to take notes, and as I come to write the review, I just don't have that much to say.
3rd person/past tense. Primarily from the MC/Cole's POV. He's in the 6th grade. I often figure the MC's age is often the target audience.
I went primarily with the audio version (I was a little nervous, Fablehaven's narration was awful, felt like it was being performed for a kindergarten story circle). The narration here was solid though. I had the Kindle copy and the physical book too.
35 chapters, with descriptive headers (included in Kindle anyway. The audio just had the basic numbered chapters, and the physical book doesn't even include a TOC). Not overly descriptive, often just one or two words ... still, something I like to look back on after finishing up the book. Seeing if the headers jog my memory.
This starts off on Halloween night ... I'm a bit OCD about timing/seasons. I generally don't like reading a Halloween/Christmas story in May. While the timing was important (leading the kids into a spook alley) overall, the season was over pretty quick as the story moved into the "Outskirts" ... a fantasy dreamworld.
The new world had a lot of imaginative things, interesting ... the titled "Sky Raiders" and the cloud castles and the "semblences" ... the set up for the series, as Cole tries to survive and find/rescue his friends, as well as help new friends and deal with the magic and the treachery taking place.
I'm pretty sure I would have liked this a LOT more in my younger years. Whereas adults often don't like the "children in danger" I think kids sometimes get a bit of a thrill from that (and the kid who manages to survive and save others, imagining maybe that would be them in such a situation).
I just didn't get fully pulled in, didn't get that connection with the characters, where I NEED to keep reading and find out what happens. While I didn't have any trouble finishing up, I also wasn't sorry when the story ended, ready to move onto something else (while wishing Cole luck in his next adventure).
I think maybe my genre preferences have shifted though. I used to really love fantasy, but it's a bit of push for me now. Maybe I wasn't fully in the mood for this? Aimed at a younger audience, this wasn't even as complex as some fantasy can be.
Words I note: cacophony
3rd person/past tense. Primarily from the MC/Cole's POV. He's in the 6th grade. I often figure the MC's age is often the target audience.
I went primarily with the audio version (I was a little nervous, Fablehaven's narration was awful, felt like it was being performed for a kindergarten story circle). The narration here was solid though. I had the Kindle copy and the physical book too.
35 chapters, with descriptive headers (included in Kindle anyway. The audio just had the basic numbered chapters, and the physical book doesn't even include a TOC). Not overly descriptive, often just one or two words ... still, something I like to look back on after finishing up the book. Seeing if the headers jog my memory.
This starts off on Halloween night ... I'm a bit OCD about timing/seasons. I generally don't like reading a Halloween/Christmas story in May. While the timing was important (leading the kids into a spook alley) overall, the season was over pretty quick as the story moved into the "Outskirts" ... a fantasy dreamworld.
The new world had a lot of imaginative things, interesting ... the titled "Sky Raiders" and the cloud castles and the "semblences" ... the set up for the series, as Cole tries to survive and find/rescue his friends, as well as help new friends and deal with the magic and the treachery taking place.
I'm pretty sure I would have liked this a LOT more in my younger years. Whereas adults often don't like the "children in danger" I think kids sometimes get a bit of a thrill from that (and the kid who manages to survive and save others, imagining maybe that would be them in such a situation).
I just didn't get fully pulled in, didn't get that connection with the characters, where I NEED to keep reading and find out what happens. While I didn't have any trouble finishing up, I also wasn't sorry when the story ended, ready to move onto something else (while wishing Cole luck in his next adventure).
I think maybe my genre preferences have shifted though. I used to really love fantasy, but it's a bit of push for me now. Maybe I wasn't fully in the mood for this? Aimed at a younger audience, this wasn't even as complex as some fantasy can be.
Words I note: cacophony
I've had this book on my shelf for years. It was touted as a classic back when my boys were young (thus the purchase for the home bookshelf) but the boys, nor I, ever got around to reading it. Hubs is a huge fan of Make Way for Ducklings though ...
This ... reading it now, as an adult and so far from the time in which it was written, just didn't really do it for me. It was "a story" but six smaller stories. As I finished (I went with the audiobook) ... I had a hard time even remembering what any of them had been about. One was about donuts, and there was a skunk in another.
I always get the Kindle copy too, so I skimmed over it, and could then catch some of the illustrations too. It just felt like a children's book, more like a picture book, and so dated. A very "Mayberry" feel for everything. Silly, over the top, slapstick comedy. Maybe I wasn't in the mood.
I wonder what I would have thought of it if I'd read it as a child (as it was around back then too).
This ... reading it now, as an adult and so far from the time in which it was written, just didn't really do it for me. It was "a story" but six smaller stories. As I finished (I went with the audiobook) ... I had a hard time even remembering what any of them had been about. One was about donuts, and there was a skunk in another.
I always get the Kindle copy too, so I skimmed over it, and could then catch some of the illustrations too. It just felt like a children's book, more like a picture book, and so dated. A very "Mayberry" feel for everything. Silly, over the top, slapstick comedy. Maybe I wasn't in the mood.
I wonder what I would have thought of it if I'd read it as a child (as it was around back then too).
Middle Grade May Reading Challenge ... I'd picked up this physical book for the LFL (library sale) and figured I'd give it a read before I sent it on its way. Of course, I grabbed the audiobook and Kindle copy from the library for my personal "read". I've read one other Gordon Korman book (Restart).
This was very easy to get into ... it had a few different POVs, but the main ones are Keenan and Zarabeth. A couple chapters from Ronnie, one from Keenan's dad, one from Zarabeth's dad. All 1st person/present tense. In audio, they got their own narrators, although the guy's voices didn't stand out that much, didn't even sound that different (I had to look to verify they were different people). These four chapters switching to the other characters ... they felt a little off to me, as I was used to Keenan and ZeeBee for most of it.
It was all very conversational - almost to the reader at times. The way it starts, first line "You've probably seen the video-it's been viewed over eighteen million times." With that start I would have though the video would have been more important, not just a random viral one (that I actually looked up to see if perhaps it was real? I don't think so).
A cute story, two teens, one a bit of an outcast. Unique location, as the US and Canada split duties over the lighthouse. The cover image, there's barely the shadow there of the first Barney(dog ... so yes, that dog dies, before the book even starts. Zeebee thinks he's been murdered). The cute puppy pictured on the cover is Barney2, who wins hearts, eventually (Keenan, the reader, before ZeeBee).
Historical mystery, with Al Capone & Tommy-Gun Ferguson and some missing gold.
It all kept my attention, even as an adult, and not the middle-grade audience as intended.
This was very easy to get into ... it had a few different POVs, but the main ones are Keenan and Zarabeth. A couple chapters from Ronnie, one from Keenan's dad, one from Zarabeth's dad. All 1st person/present tense. In audio, they got their own narrators, although the guy's voices didn't stand out that much, didn't even sound that different (I had to look to verify they were different people). These four chapters switching to the other characters ... they felt a little off to me, as I was used to Keenan and ZeeBee for most of it.
It was all very conversational - almost to the reader at times. The way it starts, first line "You've probably seen the video-it's been viewed over eighteen million times." With that start I would have though the video would have been more important, not just a random viral one (that I actually looked up to see if perhaps it was real? I don't think so).
A cute story, two teens, one a bit of an outcast. Unique location, as the US and Canada split duties over the lighthouse. The cover image, there's barely the shadow there of the first Barney(dog ... so yes, that dog dies, before the book even starts. Zeebee thinks he's been murdered). The cute puppy pictured on the cover is Barney2, who wins hearts, eventually (Keenan, the reader, before ZeeBee).
Historical mystery, with Al Capone & Tommy-Gun Ferguson and some missing gold.
It all kept my attention, even as an adult, and not the middle-grade audience as intended.