When my wife told me she was pregnant with our baby, one of the first things I did (after I finally stopped freaking out and started eating again) was start taking mental notes on exactly which books from my childhood I couldn’t wait to introduce to my child. The Rainbow Goblins by Ul De Rico, Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, and Wynken, Blynken & Nod by Eugene Field. They all flew right to the top of the list. Keep in mind that I had zero clue what sex our baby would be, whether the little kiddo would even like books, or if she’d sit still long enough for me to turn past page one. It didn’t matter. Those were books that I cherished as a kid and those were the first books I’d have on hand when Baby Neumyer came into the world.
About nine months later, our little Wiggle Bear (which has effectively become her name at this point) was born and for the next three weeks or so, I don’t remember thinking of any books at all. I didn’t think about what I’d like to read, what I’d like to read to her, or what she might like to read when she’s five, ten, fifteen, or thirty-five. The only thing I thought about was how to get a few precious minutes of sleep.
You see, what everyone tells you when your wife first gets pregnant is that having kids is hard work. Rewarding, of course, but hard work. What all these people fail to tell you, however, is how insanely hard having kids actually is. They couldn’t. There’s no possible way to form sentences that could actually convey just how difficult child-rearing (especially those vital first three weeks) is on your physical, mental, and emotional state. There are times that you and your wife begin to resemble something out of Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead. In the end, however, none of this matters. Those first three weeks pass, you find your way, and your little bundle of awesome grows to be an even more amazing bundle of awesome. Mark my words.
And when those three weeks or so finally do pass, one of the first things you do is start piling up all the books you bought (or received as gifts at the baby shower) for the little one. You make meticulous lists about which book you’ll read Baby Awesome first (Wynken, Blynken & Nod. It’s always Wynken, Blynken & Nod.), which books you’ll read to Baby Awesome over and over again, and which books you’ll only read to Baby Awesome if they specifically ask to hear them (yes, there are some books even I can’t s
Jimmy Stone’s Ghost Town by Scott Neumyer
Reviewed by: Chris Singer
About the author:
Scott Neumyer has ten years experience in online marketing and publicity and has spent the last three years as a media buyer for a major national film distributor. He has a BA in English and Cinema Studies from Rutgers University. Like many of us, Scott is also a pop culture junkie, and he’s still suffering withdrawals as a result of the cancellation of great shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Veronica Mars. His top ten favorite films of all time change daily but always include The Silence of the Lambs, Il Conformista, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Once Were Warriors. A Jersey Boy through and through, Scott also loves everything Kevin Smith touches (and, yes, that includes Jersey Girl).
About the book:
For Jimmy Stone, life in “Boredsylvania” has been pretty tough. His mom’s died, his dad’s completely checked out, and he spends his days running from the Coogan Boys, the local bullies. It isn’t long, however, before “Boredsylvania” gets a lot more exciting. With his new friend, David and his dog, Trex, by his side, Jimmy discovers that the woods beyond his backyard hold the key to a world he could never even imagine. Soon, he ends up in Ghost Town, where he’s greeted by his ghost guide, Gasp, and receives an ominous prophecy.
“Seven things you must find.
One thing for each day.
Seven things you must find.
Or else they all will pay!”
Suddenly Ghost Town becomes as scary as it sounds, and Jimmy Stone realizes that he’s in way over his head.
My take on the book:
Let me start off by saying Jimmy Stone’s Ghost Town is the first book I read on my new Nook. Since it was going to be my first read on the Nook, I had high expectations and I’m pleased to say that Scott Neumyer’s suspenseful story packed quite a punch and left me very much looking forward to the next book in the series. (More on that later…)
This is quite an entertaining and fast moving read, which I can really see being enjoyed by reluctant readers, especially boys in the 10-12 year old range. It’s very well written and I think Neumyer captured the persona of a 5th grade boy very nicely. Although the title might suggest the book would be scary, I didn’t find it to be and doubt kids would be spooked by what’s in the book. I do think the book could be enjoyed by younger readers, but there are some pretty heavy issues which come out in the first half of the book such as the death of Jimmy’s mother and Jimmy’s drunkard father. There is some foul language in the book. If you know any or have worked with 5th grade boys, that might not be too much of a surprise. Like I mentioned above, Neumyer does capture the characterizati
When my wife told me she was pregnant with our baby, one of the first things I did (after I finally stopped freaking out and started eating again) was start taking mental notes on exactly which books from my childhood I couldn’t wait to introduce to my child. The Rainbow Goblins by Ul De Rico, Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, and Wynken, Blynken & Nod by Eugene Field. They all flew right to the top of the list. Keep in mind that I had zero clue what sex our baby would be, whether the little kiddo would even like books, or if she’d sit still long enough for me to turn past page one. It didn’t matter. Those were books that I cherished as a kid and those were the first books I’d have on hand when Baby Neumyer came into the world.
My great-niece is really getting into this genre of books…
Please count me in!
Many thanks, Cindi
sounds like a great story to read
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