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Mainly reviews of children's and young adult literature. Primarily focuses on new literature, 2004-present, but may feature older titles if they are "favorites" of mine. Feel free to leave comments. I always enjoy reading what others have to say!
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The House My Grandpa Built. Geraldine Everett Gohn. Illustrated by Bonnie and Bill Rutherford. 1971. Whitman. 30 pages. [Source: Bought]
First sentence: This is the lot my grandparents found, with maple trees and high, dry ground. These are the plans that Grandpa drew, showing the rooms and outside view--a small sort of house, for their children have grown and left the big house for homes of their own.
Premise/plot: Grandpa and Grandma are moving into a house that he is having built. The book follows the construction of the house from beginning to end. And it's all done in rhyme--for better or worse!
My thoughts: I liked this one. I like that we get to see the plans of this house too. I'm an addict for HGTV, I admit. And even before that This Old House was one of my favorite, favorite shows. So this cute little book has a just right feel for me.
Text: 3 out of 5
Illustrations 3 out of 5
Total: 6 out of 10
© 2016 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
Victorian Reading Challenge
Host:
Becky's Book ReviewsDuration: January - December 2016
Goal: Read a minimum of 4 Victorian books
Sign up in the comments (If you have a blog, please leave your blog address. If you have a goodreads profile AND if you review regularly on goodreads, then you may leave that as well.)
How this challenge is different from last year: I'm not doing a BINGO challenge this upcoming year. If you want to sign up for this challenge again and hold onto a bingo card from 2016 or 2015, you're definitely welcome too! But I won't be designing a new card for next year!
You are also welcome to use my new checklist below. But it's optional.
Also new this year, I'll have quarterly check-in posts. I'll be posting check-in posts March 25, June 24, September 23, and December 30. You may leave links to your reviews on any of those four posts. If you want to share your review with me BEFORE that, AND if you have twitter, feel free to tweet me a link @blbooks.
IF you love Victorian literature AND you happen to love tea...consider joining my
Share-a-Tea reading challenge.
Feel free to copy/paste this. You can replace the _ with an X or a ✔ (copy/paste it) when you finish reading a book. If you list the books you read, that may help other people decide what to read.
_ 1. A book under 200 pages
_ 2. A book over 400 pages
_ 3. A book that REALLY intimidates you
_ 4. A book you REALLY want to reread
_ 5. A new-to-you book by a FAVORITE author
_ 6. A book with illustrations
_ 7. A book that was originally published serially
_ 8. A book published between 1837-1849
_ 9. A book published between 1850-1860
_ 10. A book published between 1861-1870
_ 11. A book published between 1871-1880
_ 12. A book published between 1881-1890
_ 13. A book published between 1891-1901
_ 14. A book published between 1902-1999 with a Victorian setting
_ 15. A book published between 2000-2017 with a Victorian setting
_ 16. A book by Charles Dickens
_ 17. A book by Wilkie Collins
_ 18. A book by Anthony Trollope
_ 19. A book by Elizabeth Gaskell
_ 20. A book by George Eliot
_ 21. A book by a new-to-you male author
_ 22. A book by a new-to-you female author
_ 23. A book translated into English
_ 24. A fiction or nonfiction book about Queen Victoria
_ 25. A book that has been filmed as movie, miniseries, or television show
_ 26. A play OR a collection of short stories OR a collection of poems
_ 27. Biography, Autobiography, or NONFICTION book about the Victorian era
_ 28. Genre or Subgenre of your choice (mystery, suspense, romance, gothic, adventure, western, science fiction, fantasy)
_ 29. Book with a name as the title
_ 30. Book You've Started but Never Finished
_ 31. A Christian book fiction or nonfiction
_ 32. A children's book
Rules:
- Fiction or nonfiction.
- Books, e-books, audio books all are fine.
- Books and movies can be reviewed together or separately.
- You can create a reading list if you want, but it's not a requirement
- If you do make a list, consider adding a list of five books you'd recommend to others
- If possible try to try a new-to-you author! I know it can be really tempting to stick with familiar favorites.
- Children's books published during these years should not be forgotten!
- Rereads are definitely allowed if you have favorites!
- A blog is not required, a review is not required, but, if you don't review please consider sharing what you read in a comment with one or two sentences of 'reaction' or 'response.'
- Any qualifying book reviewed in 2017 counts towards the challenge. If you're like me, perhaps you try to schedule posts a week ahead of time. So if it's reviewed in 2017, it counts. Even if you finished the book the last week or two of 2016!
© 2016 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
So Kailana (
The Written Word) and I really LOVED participating in Jenni Elyse's
30 Days of Books. We thought it would be fun to do a movie-theme list of questions! Feel free to switch "favorite" to "least favorite" if that is more applicable to you!
Today's question:
What is your favorite comedy or romantic comedy?I'm going to go with some older titles:
George Washington Slept HereSome Like It Hot Operation Mad BallOperation PetticoatMr. Blandings Builds His Dream HouseThe Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer It Happened One NightBachelor Mother Monkey Business I Was A Male War BrideThe Long, Long TrailerHis Girl FridayLover Come Back
The Tender Trap
If A Man Answers
Doctor, You've Got To Be Kidding
Singin' in the Rain
Walk, Don't Run
But can't forget Much Ado about Nothing! Or Ever After! Or Princess Bride! Or the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie! Or Young Victoria!
© 2016 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
Trumpet. Patricia Lynn. Illustrated by Bernice Myers. 1953. Whitman. 30 pages. [Source: Bought]
First sentence: On Farmer Friendly's farm everyone worked. Farmer Friendly plowed and hoed and harvested the fields. Mrs. Friendly cleaned and baked and sewed. Babs and Buzzy sold fruit and vegetables at their roadside stand, while Harry the hired man did a little of everything.
Premise/plot: The friendly family gets a dog; they name him Trumpet. Everyone, but Harry, likes him. Well, that's only partly true. The animals don't like Trumpet's barking, and, the family doesn't like how the animals react when Trumpet is barking. But. When Trumpet learns that there is a right time and a wrong time to bark, all is well on the farm.
My thoughts: I liked this one. It was a cute story. I really enjoyed the illustrations. If you enjoy vintage illustrations, then you should definitely seek this one out.
Text: 3 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 7 out of 10
© 2016 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
The Matchmaker. Thornton Wilder. 1954. 120 pages. [Source: Library]
First sentence: I tell you for the hundredth time you will never marry my niece.
Premise/plot: The Matchmaker is a play by Thornton Wilder. Chances are if you hear the names "Horace Vandergelder," "Cornelius Hackl," "Barnaby Tucker," "Irene Molloy," and "Dolly Levi" you will likely think of the musical Hello Dolly and not The Matchmaker. But The Matchmaker obviously came first.
What should you know? It is FUNNY. It features more characters than the musical. (I really LOVED Malachi Stack and Flora Van Huysen. Malachi gets some of the best lines, in my opinion!) The ending is similar but not identical.
So for those who haven't seen the musical... Horace Vandergelder is a cranky old man who is about to make a big decision. He has decided to remarry. Just as emphatically as he's decided to marry, he's decided that his niece will NOT be marrying her fellow, Ambrose Kemper. Two of Vandergelder's clerks (he's a store owner) decide--on this momentous day--that they've had enough and deserve a day off. Not just any day off, but a day off in the CITY. One of them vows TO NOT COME HOME UNTIL HE'S KISSED A GIRL. Cornelius and Barnaby "happen" to meet Irene Molloy (Vandergelder's first choice) and her assistant, Minnie. The people seeking adventure get in over their heads. The people NOT seeking adventure get in over their heads too. By the end, one and all long for normalcy and routine.
My thoughts: If you ask me if I like the movie--well, I can get all the best scenes by watching Wall-E. But after seeing Hello Dolly live at my local theatre, well, my perspective changed a bit. Things that were slightly funny sitting at home watching the movie really become hilarious on stage. I walked out a FAN. The Matchmaker was a perfectly perfect read for me. And I loved coming across lines like, "Go and get your Sunday clothes on."
Quotes:
"It looks to me like you're pretty rash to judge which is fools and which isn't fools, Mr. Vandergelder. People that's et onions is bad judges of who's et onions and who ain't." Joe (the barber) to Mr. Vandergelder
"Ninety-nine percent of the people in the world are fools and the rest of us are in great danger of contagion." Mr. Vandergelder
"I tell you right now: a fine woman is the greatest work of God." Cornelius
"There's nothing like eavesdropping to show you that the world outside your head is different from the world inside your head." Malachi
© 2016 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
So Kailana (
The Written Word) and I really LOVED participating in Jenni Elyse's
30 Days of Books. We thought it would be fun to do a movie-theme list of questions! Feel free to switch "favorite" to "least favorite" if that is more applicable to you!
Today's question:
What is your favorite animated movie?I'll be LISTING, of course!10. Aladdin 9. Big Hero 6
8. Inside Out 7. Robin Hood 6. 101 Dalmations5. Wall-E 4. Home 3. Aristocats2. Peanuts Movie
1. Beauty and the Beast
© 2016 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
Love drinking tea? Love reading books? Love reading a book while drinking tea? Have I got a reading challenge for you! In 2017, I'll be hosting the Share-a-Tea Reading Challenge. You can start a little early, if you want, maybe considering it a 'trial period.' But it officially starts January 1, 2017 and officially ends December 31, 2017.
Who can join? Anyone who enjoys reading. You don't need to have a blog. You don't need to have a twitter account.
Are coffee drinkers welcome? Well. You can still join in, I suppose. But you might be outnumbered by tea drinkers.
Which books count towards the challenge? Any book that you primarily read while drinking tea. Not every single page needs to have been read while drinking tea. (I'm not that strict!!!) But this challenge is all about celebrating SLOWING DOWN and SAVORING the moments.
How many books? Is there a set minimum? This challenge is about QUALITY and not quantity. It's not about reading fifty books or even twelve books. This is an anti-rush reading challenge. Enjoy where you are in a book, and, engage fully in it. Live in the book.
This challenge has a focus on SHARING. How can you share? Several ways:
1) When you sign up in a comment below, share one favorite tea and one favorite book. And if you've got one handy: a favorite quote.
2) If you write a post on your blog announcing the challenge (and making a place to keep track of what you've read), consider sharing a bit about yourself--your reading and drinking habits. You might consider a longer list of recommendations!
3) If you're on twitter, tweet me as often as you like. @blbooks OR @operationbible Tweet about favorite teas, favorite books, favorite authors, favorite quotes, what you're currently reading, what you've just finished reading, etc.
4) Consider adding me and fellow participants to your blogroll, and cheer on other participants by reading reviews and leaving comments.
5) At the end of each month, I'll publish a check-in post. You can leave comments sharing what you're reading, what you've read, tea recommendations, etc. Even if you haven't finished a book, you can share where you're at. Remember, it isn't about how many books you read per month!
6) I'll do my best to keep an ongoing list--either in this post--or on my sidebar--of participants of this challenge.
Be aware that comment moderation is turned on. So if you sign up for the challenge, and don't see your comment published, it just means I haven't published it...yet. But I will.
Do ask questions if you have them. I'll do my best to answer them.
© 2016 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
Jiggers. Joy Muchmore Lacey. Illustrated by Marge Opitz. 1963. 28 pages. [Source: Bought]
First sentence: Jiggers was a little black and white dog. He came to live with Judy the day she was six years old.
Premise/plot: Jiggers and Judy are very happy together for the most part. But one day while Jiggers is watching Judy begin her walk to school, he is a bit naughty. He does not go back into the house, or even the yard. When Judy returns home that day, Jiggers is not there and has not been there all day. The search is on. Where did Jiggers go? Can Judy and her family find him again?
My thoughts: I liked this one well enough. It is a lost dog story that is sweetly predictable. (They find him and all is well in the end. Not all lost pet stories have a happy ending in real life.)
Text: 3 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 7 out of 10
© 2016 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
The Classics Club (
sign up) (
submit reviews)
50+ classics by November 30, 2021
Religious Classics1. Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan (1678)
2. Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther by Roland H. Bainton (1950)
3. Three Treatises by Martin Luther (1520)
4. American Standard Version, Holy Bible, 1901
5. Letters of John Newton, 1911
6. Basic Christianity by John R.W. Stott
7. Commentary on Galatians by Martin Luther (1535)
8. Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin (1536)
9. Life and Diary of David Brainerd (1749)
10. Sermon on the Mount by James Montgomery Boice (1972)
11. Sovereignty of God by A.W. Pink (1928)
12. Through Gates of Splendor by Elizabeth Elliot (1956)
13. Spiritual Depression, Its Causes and Cure by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1965)
14. A History of the work of Redemption by Jonathan Edwards (1774)
15. Our Great and Glorious God by Jonathan Edwards (?)
16. The Wartime Sermons of Dr. Peter Marshall (?)
17. The New Testament in Modern English, J.B. Phillips (1958)
18. Wycliffe New Testament (1388, modern spelling edition, 2002)
19. Tyndale New Testament (1534, modern spelling edition, 1989)
20. Reformation Heritage Study Bible -- King James Version (notes 2014)
Intimidating Classics21. Arabian Nights, Anonymous (800)
22. The History of the Kings of Britain by Geoffrey of Monmouth (1138)
23. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky (1880)
24. Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo (1831)
25. Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe (1852)
26. The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy (1921)
27. East of Eden by John Steinbeck (1952)
28. The New World by Winston Churchill (1956)
29. The Age of Revolution by Winston Churchill (1957)
30. Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackery (1847)
Favorite Authors, New-to-Me Books31. The Tempest by William Shakespeare (1610)
32. The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens (1841)
33. Barnaby Rudge by Charles Dickens (1841)
34. Martin Chuzzlewit by Charles Dickens (1844)
35. Orley Farm by Anthony Trollope (1862)
36. John Caldigate by Anthony Trollope (1879)
37. Villette by Charlotte Bronte (1853)
38. Shirley by Charlotte Bronte (1849)
39. Hester by Margaret Oliphant (1883)
40. The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain (1869)
41. Carry On Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse (1925)
42. Very Good, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse (1930)
43. If I Were You by P.G. Wodehouse (1931)
44. Thank You Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse (1934)
Curious About These Classics45. Everyman, Anonymous (1520?) or The Rivals by Richard Sheridan (1775)
46. The Daisy Chain by Charlotte Mary Yonge (1856)
47. The Marrow of Tradition by Charles W. Chesnutt (1901)
48. The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1908)
49. Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini (1922)
50. The Enchanted April (1922)
51. Murder in the Cathedral by T.S. Eliot (1935)
52. Brave Men by Ernie Pyle (1944)
53. Raintree County by Ross Lockridge Jr. (1948)
54. The Matchmaker by Thornton Wilder (1954)
55. The Skin of Our Teeth by Thornton Wilder (1942)
56. Point of No Return by Martha Gellhorn (1948)
57. An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde (1893)
58. The Importance of Being Earnest (1895)
59. The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson (1888)
60. Richard the Third by Paul Murray Kendall (1955)
61. The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart (1970)
© 2016 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
So Kailana (
The Written Word) and I really LOVED participating in Jenni Elyse's
30 Days of Books. We thought it would be fun to do a movie-theme list of questions!
Today's question:
What is your favorite action and/or thriller movie?I don't consider this a "favorite" genre, yet, I find myself watching certain series or franchises all the time! Men in Black 3 is one of my all-time favorite movies. Even if you didn't love the first two, I would recommend this one. It has far more emotional depth and substance than the first two films combined. You may find it hard to believe, but, this one is quite an emotional roller coaster--and oh the DEVELOPMENT of the characters. Namely the relationship--or lack thereof--between Agents J and K. And I haven't yet mentioned it but TIME TRAVEL. The film also introduces the character Griffin. I loved, loved, loved this character :) © 2016 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
Two Stories About Kate and Kitty. Lee Priestley. Illustrated by Alice Schlesinger. 1968. Whitman. 30 pages. [Source: Bought]
First sentence: Kate was a little girl, flitty and pretty. Kitty was a little cat, pouncy and bouncy. Kate and Kitty belonged to each other.
Premise/plot: Kate and Kitty are best, best friends. In the first story, Kitty keeps finding herself on the wrong side of the door. First, in the fall, then the winter, and at last in the spring. If only there was a way for Kitty to let everyone know she needs back IN. The second story "An Alarm Clock for Kitty." Both Kate and Kitty are sound sleepers. Kate's parents get her an alarm clock to wake up their precious little sleepy head. But what can be an alarm clock for a cat?
My thoughts: I did not have this one growing up. But if I had, I would have LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it and read it again and again and again. As an adult, I still really love it. I am so glad I found this one at my local charity shop.
Anyone who loves cats, who loves children's books, who loves vintage books really need to find a copy of this one!
Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 5 out of 5
Total: 10 out of 10
© 2016 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
So Kailana (
The Written Word) and I really LOVED participating in Jenni Elyse's
30 Days of Books. We thought it would be fun to do a movie-theme list of questions!
Today's question:
What is your favorite stand-alone movie?I'm going to go with what pops into my mind first:Cyrano de Bergerac is a movie I *wished* I owned. I have it on VHS, but, that doesn't do me much good! Anyway, I LOVE AND ADORE this movie which I revisited this past summer for Paris in July.© 2016 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
If You Give A Mouse A Brownie. Laura Joffe Numeroff. Illustrated by Felicia Bond. 2016. HarperCollins. 32 pages. [Source: Library]
First sentence: If you give a mouse a brownie, he's going to ask for some ice cream to go with it. When you give him the ice cream, he'll ask you for a spoon. He'll start drumming on the table. Drumming will get him so excited he'll want to start a band.
Premise/plot: The MOUSE is back for another adventure. If you've read any of the other "If You Give" books by Laura Numeroff, you know exactly what to expect. If you aren't familiar with Numeroff's books, where have you been?!
My thoughts: I think I may love this one more than any of the others. I loved, loved, loved every page of it. I think I know someone--no, I know that I know--someone EXACTLY like Mouse.
Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 9 out of 10
© 2016 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
So Kailana (
The Written Word) and I really LOVED participating in Jenni Elyse's
30 Days of Books. We thought it would be fun to do a movie-theme list of questions!
Today's question:
What is your favorite movie series?Definitely the Lord of the Rings trilogy the extended edition.
I also really love the Marvel movies. Particularly, I love all three Captain America movies and the two Thor movies. (The Avenger movies are good. And I did like Iron Man 3. Ant Man was a surprise delight!)
The Hunger Games series was very, very good.
I like many of the Star Trek movies, though not all.
I've already mentioned the Dark Knight trilogy.
© 2016 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
Five Children on the Western Front. Kate Saunders. 2014. 318 pages. [Source: Library]
First sentence: The sand at the bottom of the gravel pit shifted and heaved, and out popped the furry brown head of a most extraordinary creature.
Premise/plot: For any reader who has read Five Children And It by E. Nesbit (and its sequels) will want to consider picking up Kate Saunders' Five Children on the Western Front. The book opens in 1914 with the oldest, Cyril, heading off to the Great War. Robert, Anthea, and Jane are grown up as well--mostly. Old enough to be away to school for their final years of education at least! Still at home are Lamb (aka Hilary) and Edie (Edith). On this life-changing day, Edie and Lamb discover (again) the Psammead. Lamb has no memory of the adventures his older siblings had, though he has grown up hearing all about the magic. There is a very happy reunion of sorts. If his being cranky and sarcastic doesn't take away the children's happiness. Soon, however, they realize that something is very wrong. He lacks strength and magical power. He has even lost the ability to be invisible. Edie, his primary companion, makes it her mission to get the answers he needs.
This mission takes most of them to London to visit Old Nurse and their friend the Professor. The Professor has a new, young assistant Ernie Haywood, a soldier who has returned home because of injuries. Anthea is quite smitten!
The book covers the war years.
My thoughts: Wow! Not disappointed at all. Not even a little bit! Loved Edie, the heroine, and loved the "humbling" of "Sammy." It was wonderful to spend time with the Pemberton family yet again. If there is a flaw, it is that we still don't really get to know the parents. Is that a flaw? Perhaps. I personally just loved the kids so much, I didn't care. I think readers are in on the secret--the magic--and the parents aren't and never will be.
Is the book sad? Yes in the same way that Rilla of Ingleside is sad and happy at the same time. In fact, that is the only book that really comes to mind. Both books star characters from series that readers would have grown up reading and loving. Both books cross into the ugliness of war, interrupting a blissful innocence. L. M. Montgomery was brave in that she tackled the subject herself so very soon after the war ended. E. Nesbit was older, and most of books were published before the war. Saunders did a splendid job with this sequel.
© 2016 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
So Kailana (
The Written Word) and I really LOVED participating in Jenni Elyse's
30 Days of Books. We thought it would be fun to do a movie-theme list of questions!
Today's question: What is your favorite genre? What is your favorite movie in your favorite genre?
My favorite genre. I have two that sometimes overlap. I LOVE musicals. I LOVE period dramas.
Favorite movie in my favorite genre. I could never pick just one. My top ten of historical musicals.
10) Calamity Jane
9) South Pacific
8) Moulin Rouge
7) Singin' in the Rain
6) King and I
5) Holiday Inn
4) My Fair Lady
3) High Society
2) The Sound of Music
1) Music Man
© 2016 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
March Book Three. John Lewis and Andrew Aydin. Illustrated by Nate Powell. 2016. 246 pages. [Source: Library] First sentence: Y'all better hurry along, now. Sunday School's nearly over, and the main service'll be startin' soon.
Premise/plot: March is the graphic novel autobiography of John Lewis. So far, there are three volumes in this autobiography. Today, I am reviewing book three. It opens in Birminham, Alabama, September 15, 1963, the bombing of a church. This one covers the rest of 1963, 1964, and 1965. The 'past' story line concludes with the 1965 Voting Rights Act becoming a law. The 'current' story line concludes with him deciding to do a graphic novel autobiography.
My thoughts: From start to finish, I personally found this compelling. Not just start to finish book three. Though that is certainly true enough. But start to finish all three books in this autobiography. Even though this third book was longer than the previous two, it didn't feel weighed down by unnecessary elements. If it was weightier in substance--darker, more depressing perhaps--that is for one good reason: it reflects what was happening. The book definitely captures the ongoing struggle of the non-violent fight for freedom: the spirit of determination, the bravery and courage, the stubbornness of men and women and even children taking a stand for something they believed in heart and soul and mind. Yes, this book is violent and bloody, perhaps much more so than the first two volumes even. But it shows readers--of all ages--that this "civil rights movement" was not quick and easy. That it was something that took years--decades even. That it was exhausting. That it took not just a few dozen big names, but hundreds, thousands of people. One can't learn "everything" there is to know about the "civil rights movement" by reading one or two books. This book series showed you how BIG everything was. © 2016 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
So Kailana (
The Written Word) and I really LOVED participating in Jenni Elyse's
30 Days of Books. We thought it would be fun to do a movie-theme list of questions!
Today's question: A soundtrack that you love more than the actual movie...
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this soundtrack to Jane Eyre. Alessio Vlad & Claudio Capponi.
Others that came to mind:
- How To Lose A Guy in Ten Days
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- Serendipity
© 2016 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
They All Saw A Cat. Brendan Wenzel. 2016. Chronicle. 44 pages. [Source: Library]
First sentence: The cat walked through the world, with its whiskers, ears, and paws...and the child saw a CAT, and the dog saw a CAT, and the fox saw a CAT. Yes, they all saw the cat.
Premise/plot: Have you ever wondered how a mouse sees a cat? how a dog sees a cat? how a fish sees a cat? how a bird sees a cat? Brendan Wenzel's picture book plays with young readers' concept of perspective.
My thoughts: I really enjoyed this one. I did. Each spread is unique and interesting. Each reveals how a creature--a flea, a bee, a skunk, a bat, a child--sees a cat. Though it is the same cat, ever creature "sees" a different cat. I'll be honest, the illustrations steal the show. That plus the premise. I would definitely recommend this one.
Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 5 out of 5
Total: 9 out of 10
© 2016 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
Board Book: There, There. Taro Miura. 2016. Candlewick. 22 pages. [Source: Review copy]
First sentence: Frog says, "Ribbit, ribbit!" Chicken says, "Cluck, cluck!"
Premise/plot: This may at first appear to be a simple, predictable book. (I think of Bing Bong, Riley's imaginary friend!!!) But it has a twist. After the baby goes "wah, wah!" the animals, well, they mix things up a bit! Can the baby restore order in the world?!
My thoughts: I LOVE the twist in this one. It is probably still a little on the predictable side. (The title may just provide the solution.) But it is FUN. It is newly translated into English this year.
Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 8 out of 10
© 2016 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
So Kailana (
The Written Word) and I really LOVED participating in Jenni Elyse's
30 Days of Books. We thought it would be fun to do a movie-theme list of questions!
Today's question: A movie that disappointed you...
Into the Woods
I love fairy tales. I love musicals. So why didn't I even like this one?! I still don't know this one really didn't work for me. It just didn't.
© 2016 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
The Plot to Kill Hitler. Patricia McCormick. 2016. 192 pages. [Source: Library]
First sentence: The Gestapo would arrive any minute.
Premise/plot: Patricia McCormick tells the story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer for elementary-aged readers. It is subtitled pastor, spy, and unlikely hero. Young people likely haven't heard of him at all. So this is a great introduction. The prologue starts at the climax. The first chapter takes us back to his childhood days where we learn that he is a thoughtful, sensitive, intelligent dreamer. This one is very family-focused for the conspiracy to kill Hitler involved many of his family. Year by year, readers learn the how and the why. Notably, readers learn of many opportunities that would have kept him safe and out of the war and the dangers and risks of being in Nazi Germany. Bonhoeffer rejected the easy way out believing that no action was still an action. In other words, failure to rebel and speak out against Hitler was to support him. Silence and escape were unthinkable.
My thoughts: I knew of him as a Christian writer and thinker. I have read The Cost of Discipleship. I knew he died during the war at a concentration camp, I did not know that he was there not just for preaching and proclaiming against the regime, but was in fact an actual spy and co-conspirator. So I learned something!
This one was a quick read.
© 2016 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
So Kailana (
The Written Word) and I really LOVED participating in Jenni Elyse's
30 Days of Books. We thought it would be fun to do a movie-theme list of questions!
Today's question: A movie that you can't stop quoting....
The movie that I find most quotable is BABE.
The TV SPEcial I find most quotable is GARFIELD'S THANKSGIVING.
- Pancakes, pancakes the size of Australia, and coffee, yes, Jon, coffee. We wouldn't be the great nation we are without coffee. So do your patriotic duty, Jon Arbuckle, and fix - me - breakfast!
- Woe is me, I've been put on a diet and I'm gonna die.
- Gee, I've been on this diet only ten minutes and I can tell I've already lost something... my sense of humor.
- I'm free, I'm free, I can eat! Oh, joy! Oh, rapture! Oh, no!
- Grandma: Have cooking utensils, will travel.
Go, Grandma, go. Deep fat fry, deep fat fry, music to my ears. - Skip the piece of resistance, just gimme a piece of pie!
© 2016 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
Falling Over Sideways. Jordan Sonnenblick. 2016. Scholastic. 272 pages. [Source: Library]
First sentence: I'm waiting in the wings, watching all of the fathers dancing onstage.
Premise/plot: Falling Over Sideways chronicles Claire's eighth grade year in a way that only Jordan Sonnenblick can. Claire is upset that a) her friends got promoted to the next dance class level, and she didn't; b) most of her teachers previously taught her older, oh-so-perfect brother, Matthew; c) her home room and most of her classes have more bullies than friends; d) her father has had a major stroke and has lost the ability to talk, write, read. Mid-September family life gets way complicated. All of the complexities of life make for a great coming of age story.
My thoughts: Sonnenblick is one of the best contemporary writers when it comes to characterization. (The one exception might be the mom in this one. Though that might be a case of me not getting her personality.) Claire's relationships with everyone--from her perfect brother to the former-friend turned enemy (Ryder)--are so well done! (I appreciated the fact that he didn't try to squeeze in a romance. This middle grade read was perfect without rushing ahead.)
I really loved this one. It might pair really well with The Seventh Wish. Both heroines are into dance, focus on friendship, and feature a family in crisis coming together.
© 2016 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
Board Book: Bum, Bum. Taro Miura. 2016. Candlewick. 24 pages. [Source: Review copy]
First sentence: Duck's fluffy...bum bum. Pig's round....bum bum. Elephant's big...bum bum.
Premise/plot: I will be the first to admit that this one is a little lacking in plot. (Not every board book has a plot. Many don't, in fact. So it's not an automatic fail.) It is super-predictable as well. Little ones see a LOT of bums. Mostly animal bums. But also a toddler bum bum there at the end--both diapered and un. If you have a little one that giggles gleefully about bums and buttoms, then, this one may be worth sharing.
My thoughts: It was okay. To be honest, it takes more than the sight of a bum to make me giggle. I am not the target audience for this!!! I think this may be a more subjective book!
Text: 3 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 6 out of 10
© 2016 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
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