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2.59k reviews by:
librarybonanza
Age: High School
Pudge is fascinated with last words. In an attempt to leave his boring hometown and uneventful life, Pudge follows the last words of the poet Francois Rabelais, "I go to seek a Great Perhaps." His Great Perhaps begins at Culver Creek where a few good friends he's never had, including Alaska the mysteriously sexy and clever love interest, introduce him to enjoying his life by being daring and spontaneous. When Alaska drunkenly dies in a car accident, Pudge and his friends must solve her mysterious death to relieve their guilt for letting her go.
Green's first book shows his authentic insight into the lives of teenagers and his ability to present thoughtful and challenging questions in life. This is where he excels. However, I didn't feel the connection between Pudge and Alaska and how she showed him the Great Perhaps. Was it because she herself was such an individual? Because she had an opinion and wasn't afraid to voice it?
The last letter from Pudge is a beautiful, introspective look at what happens to people when they die. "We need never be hopeless, because we can never be irreparably broken" (220). When we die and our bodies and minds are no longer present, our memories and past actions and relationships live on in others, whether knowingly or not. Therefore, we can never be broken and this should give us hope.
Pudge is fascinated with last words. In an attempt to leave his boring hometown and uneventful life, Pudge follows the last words of the poet Francois Rabelais, "I go to seek a Great Perhaps." His Great Perhaps begins at Culver Creek where a few good friends he's never had, including Alaska the mysteriously sexy and clever love interest, introduce him to enjoying his life by being daring and spontaneous. When Alaska drunkenly dies in a car accident, Pudge and his friends must solve her mysterious death to relieve their guilt for letting her go.
Green's first book shows his authentic insight into the lives of teenagers and his ability to present thoughtful and challenging questions in life. This is where he excels. However, I didn't feel the connection between Pudge and Alaska and how she showed him the Great Perhaps. Was it because she herself was such an individual? Because she had an opinion and wasn't afraid to voice it?
The last letter from Pudge is a beautiful, introspective look at what happens to people when they die. "We need never be hopeless, because we can never be irreparably broken" (220). When we die and our bodies and minds are no longer present, our memories and past actions and relationships live on in others, whether knowingly or not. Therefore, we can never be broken and this should give us hope.
Age: Preschool-Kindergarten
Another book for the reluctant sleepers, but this stands out with its wonderfully diverse, multi-media artwork in softer pastels and muted bold colors. Although the blood red bear and tiger claws were a bit disconcerting the lyrical prose is heartening and comforting.
Another book for the reluctant sleepers, but this stands out with its wonderfully diverse, multi-media artwork in softer pastels and muted bold colors. Although the blood red bear and tiger claws were a bit disconcerting the lyrical prose is heartening and comforting.
Age: Toddler - Kindergarten
Animals: Various
Fabulous watercolors provide a list of animals Antelope to Zebra as a mother encourages her child to sleep like the animals as they drift off to sleep. The two excellent features of this book include: (1) the animals are painted anatomically and are very noticeable where the listener is not distracted by superfluous background details; and (2) the alliteration is not obnoxiously overused but enforces the sounds of each letter.
Animals: Various
Fabulous watercolors provide a list of animals Antelope to Zebra as a mother encourages her child to sleep like the animals as they drift off to sleep. The two excellent features of this book include: (1) the animals are painted anatomically and are very noticeable where the listener is not distracted by superfluous background details; and (2) the alliteration is not obnoxiously overused but enforces the sounds of each letter.
Age: Toddler-1st grade
Family: Sibling Bonding
It all started with a pleasant enough bike-ride in the woods when Louis was eaten up by a Gulper--"Gulp!" Sarah didn't panic but she knew she had to save her brother. As Sarah gets close enough to save him, the Gulper is eaten up by another, bigger monster. And so it the end where both siblings get their comeuppance.
Along the lines of a cumulative tale, children that like "The Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly" might enjoy this one. I loved the imaginative monsters, the ingenious inventions that Sarah creates to follow the monsters, and the comic book paneling.
Family: Sibling Bonding
It all started with a pleasant enough bike-ride in the woods when Louis was eaten up by a Gulper--"Gulp!" Sarah didn't panic but she knew she had to save her brother. As Sarah gets close enough to save him, the Gulper is eaten up by another, bigger monster. And so it the end where both siblings get their comeuppance.
Along the lines of a cumulative tale, children that like "The Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly" might enjoy this one. I loved the imaginative monsters, the ingenious inventions that Sarah creates to follow the monsters, and the comic book paneling.
Age: Toddler - Preschool
A fun read-aloud with a rhythmic bounce and imagination like Seuss. Thanks for Bubble Trouble, Margaret, and this lovely last book.
A fun read-aloud with a rhythmic bounce and imagination like Seuss. Thanks for Bubble Trouble, Margaret, and this lovely last book.
Age: Kindergarten-1st grade
The premise of the story is unique and relatable, especially the ending (running late with kids in tow) but the rhyme scheme is so drearily forced (A, B, C, B). I hate when authors use useless words to simply force a rhyme such as:
The use of excessive punctuation also creates havoc on the flow of the story. Sometimes the syllabic count is off. I just...so desperately wish this was written as prose.
The premise of the story is unique and relatable, especially the ending (running late with kids in tow) but the rhyme scheme is so drearily forced (A, B, C, B). I hate when authors use useless words to simply force a rhyme such as:
Nate says, "Wait! I need my bunny!"
Kate regards him with dismay.
"Just one minute, I'll be speedy...."
Kate gives up. "That's fine, okay."
The use of excessive punctuation also creates havoc on the flow of the story. Sometimes the syllabic count is off. I just...so desperately wish this was written as prose.
Age: Infant - Preschool
A nice addition to the picture books with very few words that can be hard to come by for infant storytimes.
A nice addition to the picture books with very few words that can be hard to come by for infant storytimes.
Age: Preschool-Kindergarten
Animals: Cat, fish
An unlikely friendship between a cat and a goldfish. Cat feels sorry for the boring life of his friend, Bubble, and decides to take him around town in a water-filled bucket. Bubble is sad that he can't swim free with the other fishes but values his friendship more.
Crisp, blending watercolors of beautiful landscapes and animals.
Animals: Cat, fish
An unlikely friendship between a cat and a goldfish. Cat feels sorry for the boring life of his friend, Bubble, and decides to take him around town in a water-filled bucket. Bubble is sad that he can't swim free with the other fishes but values his friendship more.
Crisp, blending watercolors of beautiful landscapes and animals.
Age: 1st-3rd grade
Animals: Birds (bird watching)
Family: Grandpa
Half fiction, half nonfiction, Ziefert provides a book perfect for animal fact-seekers, bird watchers, and grandkids that share hobbies with their grandpas.
Animals: Birds (bird watching)
Family: Grandpa
Half fiction, half nonfiction, Ziefert provides a book perfect for animal fact-seekers, bird watchers, and grandkids that share hobbies with their grandpas.
Age: High School
Award: Stonewall 2011
First off, the reader needs to understand the purpose of this book. It is from the perspective of Logan, a small-town teen that falls head-over-heals for the new girl at his school. Sage is quirky, unique, and beautiful. Logan soon finds out that Sage is a transsexual, transitioning from boy to girl. While his feelings of disgust (towards himself and Sage), anger, and cowardliness are hard to accept, they may very well be a genuine response and allow the reader to see a transsexual scenario from another valuable perspective.
I appreciated the psychological consideration for Logan, from his past that influences his present (dad leaves home because he's a coward, Logan doesn't want to be a coward by running away from Sage), to the culture he's living in (small town USA). I also enjoyed the very funny one-liners thrown throughout the book.
Award: Stonewall 2011
First off, the reader needs to understand the purpose of this book. It is from the perspective of Logan, a small-town teen that falls head-over-heals for the new girl at his school. Sage is quirky, unique, and beautiful. Logan soon finds out that Sage is a transsexual, transitioning from boy to girl. While his feelings of disgust (towards himself and Sage), anger, and cowardliness are hard to accept, they may very well be a genuine response and allow the reader to see a transsexual scenario from another valuable perspective.
I appreciated the psychological consideration for Logan, from his past that influences his present (dad leaves home because he's a coward, Logan doesn't want to be a coward by running away from Sage), to the culture he's living in (small town USA). I also enjoyed the very funny one-liners thrown throughout the book.