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2.59k reviews by:
librarybonanza
Age: Preschool +
Family: Older brother, younger sister
What a fun story of miscommunication. Poor little Jessie is just learning to be polite but doesn't quite have the pronunciation down yet for certain words. For Jessie, "please" is pronounced "peas." At dinner, Jessie comes into trouble with the new babysitter. "Orange juice peas!" which the babysitter reluctantly gives her: orange juice with peas. We continue down this road until Ben finally explains his little sister's desires. This will get older siblings laughing as they relate to the mispronounced words of their younger siblings.
Family: Older brother, younger sister
What a fun story of miscommunication. Poor little Jessie is just learning to be polite but doesn't quite have the pronunciation down yet for certain words. For Jessie, "please" is pronounced "peas." At dinner, Jessie comes into trouble with the new babysitter. "Orange juice peas!" which the babysitter reluctantly gives her: orange juice with peas. We continue down this road until Ben finally explains his little sister's desires. This will get older siblings laughing as they relate to the mispronounced words of their younger siblings.
What a fantastic book. To escape his grim surroundings, Wade immerses himself in the OASIS, a virtual reality utopia where you can learn, socialize, strategize, fight, and fall in love while keeping your bum firmly planted in a chair. A World of Warcraft paradise. Before the creator of the OASIS dies with no heir to his multi-million fortune, he sets up an elaborate hunt for a hidden easter egg. For years after his death, the world has been searching rather fruitlessly for the grand prize knowing only that his riddles are based off of the 80s pop culture he loved. Disheartened and thinking it a ruse, most people give up on the hunt. But some people, like Wade, become as obsessed with 80s culture as the OASIS creator, becoming proficient in Spacewar and other early arcade games, reciting Revenge of the Nerds, Schoolhouse Rock!, and other classic 80s movies and TV shows, and memorizing liner notes to Devo, Pink Floyd, and any other 80s music they could get their hands on. Which was a lot. So when Wade, 5 years after the start, solves the first clue he becomes embroiled in a race to the finish with friends--and deadly enemies.
Although I didn't get probably 70% of the culture references, I did enjoy the pace, and the slight humor, and the OVERWHELMING NERDOM. The atmosphere of the OASIS was engaging and delightfully described from hooking in to the various planets. I appreciated the questions brought forth about reality and virtual reality. Is a virtual school better than the real deal? It prevents bullying and classroom interruptions but it also causes a disconnection in socialization. Wade was a likeable character that becomes more and more tenacious as he uses his brains, wit, and courage to solve the puzzle and outsmart his adversaries. I was also really intrigued by Halliday's reclusion and back story. One of the best books I've read in awhile.
Although I didn't get probably 70% of the culture references, I did enjoy the pace, and the slight humor, and the OVERWHELMING NERDOM. The atmosphere of the OASIS was engaging and delightfully described from hooking in to the various planets. I appreciated the questions brought forth about reality and virtual reality. Is a virtual school better than the real deal? It prevents bullying and classroom interruptions but it also causes a disconnection in socialization. Wade was a likeable character that becomes more and more tenacious as he uses his brains, wit, and courage to solve the puzzle and outsmart his adversaries. I was also really intrigued by Halliday's reclusion and back story. One of the best books I've read in awhile.
Award: YALSA 2011 Teens Top Ten
"When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.
Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own" (Goodreads feature review).
After finishing the book, I read my friend's blog post about the first Mortal Instruments book and the series seem almost identical. Interesting, if not boring, move there, Clare. While I would agree that the character's personalities and conflicts seem repetitive of the YA fantasy genre, I enjoyed the cast of characters, particularly Clare's ability to write intriguing side characters without having them dominate and stray from the storyline. The setting made some light appearances but it did not have a strong presence.. Clare left the book with some excellent cliff-hangers.
"When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.
Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own" (Goodreads feature review).
After finishing the book, I read my friend's blog post about the first Mortal Instruments book and the series seem almost identical. Interesting, if not boring, move there, Clare. While I would agree that the character's personalities and conflicts seem repetitive of the YA fantasy genre, I enjoyed the cast of characters, particularly Clare's ability to write intriguing side characters without having them dominate and stray from the storyline. The setting made some light appearances but it did not have a strong presence.
Spoiler
Tessa's brother's betrayal was nice because she could finally hate his dumb, pampered assSpoiler
Where did the Magister go? What will he do with Pyxis? Why is Will such a pompous douche? Can Tessa please get over him? Any guy that acts like a brick wall, treats you like garbage, and tricks you with sudden bursts of passion is not worth it, no matter how mysterious it may be.
Age: Preschool+
Art: Drawing
A simple, interactive way to explore how art can transform from a line, to a squiggle, to a dinosaur, and more. Accompanied with multiple fold-outs to show the progress of a drawing.
Art: Drawing
A simple, interactive way to explore how art can transform from a line, to a squiggle, to a dinosaur, and more. Accompanied with multiple fold-outs to show the progress of a drawing.
Age: Preschool-Kindergarten
Familiar experience: moving
A quirky book with forced rhymes. At least kids will have fun with the baby moogees' nonsense chant.
Familiar experience: moving
A quirky book with forced rhymes. At least kids will have fun with the baby moogees' nonsense chant.
Age: 9th-12th grade
Nick's the bassist of a queercore punk band with a knack for songwriting. Norah's a music snob indie chick and the daughter of a famous record company CEO. Both are recovering from nasty breakups from people they only thought they were in love with. After Nick finishes a show, he sees his ex approaching with her new boytoy. In a moment of fumbling emotions, he asks the random girl next to him to be his girlfriend for five minutes. Norah agrees, both not realizing the real loving connection that will emerge in one night.
Spunky and snide, Cohn and Levithan weave together music and love on all fronts. Includes sexually explicit scenes--rar!
Nick's the bassist of a queercore punk band with a knack for songwriting. Norah's a music snob indie chick and the daughter of a famous record company CEO. Both are recovering from nasty breakups from people they only thought they were in love with. After Nick finishes a show, he sees his ex approaching with her new boytoy. In a moment of fumbling emotions, he asks the random girl next to him to be his girlfriend for five minutes. Norah agrees, both not realizing the real loving connection that will emerge in one night.
Spunky and snide, Cohn and Levithan weave together music and love on all fronts. Includes sexually explicit scenes--rar!
Age: 3rd-5th grade
Animals: Gorilla, elephant, dog
Art: Painting
Award: Newbery 2013
Katherine Applegate is back in my life (p.s. ANIMORPHS)!!
"Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all. Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he’s seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog.
Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home—and his own art—through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it’s up to Ivan to make it a change for the better."
A wonderfully paced book about captivity and escaping the expectations given to you. Applegate also looks at assimilation because Ivan has been raised as a human but is still a gorilla. One insightful quote asks,
Animals: Gorilla, elephant, dog
Art: Painting
Award: Newbery 2013
Katherine Applegate is back in my life (p.s. ANIMORPHS)!!
"Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all. Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he’s seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog.
Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home—and his own art—through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it’s up to Ivan to make it a change for the better."
A wonderfully paced book about captivity and escaping the expectations given to you. Applegate also looks at assimilation because Ivan has been raised as a human but is still a gorilla. One insightful quote asks,
"But many days I forget what I am supposed to be. Am I a human? Am I a gorilla? Humans have so many words, more than they truly need. Still they have no name for what I am" (143).This could really strike a cord for children pulled between two cultures, especially their emerging realization at this age.
Age: K-2nd grade
Nature: Gardening
A straight-forward tale about classroom gardens and overcoming food distastes. The reader will need to ask the listener(s) why Sylvia overcame her displeasure with spinach because it is not mentioned in the book. This is perfectly fine, let's just hope the reader does this. I also kinda wish there was more gardening terminology.
Nature: Gardening
A straight-forward tale about classroom gardens and overcoming food distastes. The reader will need to ask the listener(s) why Sylvia overcame her displeasure with spinach because it is not mentioned in the book. This is perfectly fine, let's just hope the reader does this. I also kinda wish there was more gardening terminology.
Age: Preschool
Things that go: construction
It's always refreshing to get a preschool picture book without rhymes, but Sturges fails to include even a rhythmic text. The sentences are fragmented but the simple story follows a logical path. The bold, big illustrations are the best success of this forgetful book.
Things that go: construction
It's always refreshing to get a preschool picture book without rhymes, but Sturges fails to include even a rhythmic text. The sentences are fragmented but the simple story follows a logical path. The bold, big illustrations are the best success of this forgetful book.