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Finally (Willow Falls #2) Wendy Mass. 2010. Scholastic. 304 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Finally is a companion book to Wendy Mass's 11 Birthdays. Both books are set in Willow Falls. Both books feature "the old lady with the duck birthmark on her cheek," Angelina D'Angelo. Both books reveal Angelina's "thing" about birthdays. Did I enjoy Finally as much as I enjoyed 11 Birthdays? Probably not.
Rory Swenson, our heroine, is something. Before she turns twelve, she's a bit on the whining side. She has a list of twenty-two things she wants to do when she turns twelve. Eleven are supposedly big things; eleven are supposedly little things. Because Rory lives in Willow Falls, because Rory catches the attention of a certain old lady, none of the things on her list will go well for her...at all.
Rory truly is unlucky in Finally. All of these unlucky circumstances point back to Angelina in some ways, but not all ways. I have to believe that we still get to know the real Rory in spite of all the misfortune. She happens to learn that she's allergic to certain plant-based cosmetics. Her face swells up in a horrid reaction. She happens to learn that she's allergic to gold when she pierces her ears. Again another allergic reaction. She happens to scratch her eye when trying to get her first pair of contacts out which leads her to having to wear an eye patch until it heals. She happens to do some serious damage to one of her legs while shaving for the first time. She happens to lose her cell phone within ten or fifteen minutes of buying it with her dad. The list goes on and on and on.
Rory's humiliations catch the notice of a certain movie star, a teen celebrity, that, of course, just happens to be filming at her very school in Willow Falls. Thirty extras are needed for the film, and Rory and her friends--some new friends, some old friends--are chosen, of course.
Everything, or almost everything, that happens in Finally is for Rory's ultimate good, or, so we're led to believe. Rory's trials are transforming her life for the better. Her misfortune is bringing new friends into her life. These friendships and relationships are life-changing.
Finally was an entertaining read. In my opinion, the Willow Falls series isn't supposed to be taken seriously as realistic fiction. That was perhaps a little more obvious in 11 Birthdays with the reliving-the-same-day-eleven-times plot. But it's true here as well. The town is far from ordinary, and its citizens are touched--some more than others--by hints of spells, curses, and magic.
© 2014 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
The Heavens Are Empty: Discovering the Lost Town of Trochenbrod. Avrom Bendavid-Val. 2010. Pegasus. 256 pages. [Source: Library]
The Heavens Are Empty is a compelling nonfiction read. Avrom Bendavid-Val has approached the subject matter with care and attention. This book is about a town--a village--that existed for a little over hundred years, the Jewish town of Trochenbrod.
Trochenbrod did not vanish slowly but surely over decades, it's death was not natural at all. After sharing his personal story, his behind-the-scenes look at his research process, his motivation for wanting--needing--to know more, he presents his findings in four chapters. The first chapter focuses on "the first hundred years." This is a look, a glimpse, at what life was like in Trochenbrod in the nineteenth century and a little beyond. If this book has a "happy" section, this would be it. The second chapter focuses on the decades between the first world war and the start of the second world war. Again, there are no great indicators of what is to come. The third chapter covers the years 1939-1942, readers see Trochenbrod under Soviet rule and under German rule. The fourth chapter is perhaps the most haunting, the most horrific. The fourth chapter focuses on how an entire village was massacred by the Nazis. This chapter includes three incredible accounts of survivor-witnesses.
The Heavens Are Empty is rich in witness accounts. It's a difficult subject to read about, but important in my opinion.
© 2014 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
Okay, Picture Book Month is over. Now it is time for...zombies!
Not to worry. I'm not doing a month on them. I'm not even all that enthused about zombies. I've read a couple of good books, seen a few movies, and that's about all I need. Especially since many zombie books are also apocalyptic novels. And, as Garrison Keillor once said about pumpkin pie, the best apocalyptic novel you've ever read isn't that much better than the worst.
That's why I ignored
Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry for a long time when it was on my library's new YA shelf. It wasn't until I saw a review for one of its follow-up books that I gave the first book in the
Rot & Ruin series a second thought and made a point of finding it.
What makes this book so intriguing is that while it is set in a vague American future, it has a western vibe. The characters in this book are fourteen years into zombie world and the little group we're interested in are living in a small town they've created to keep themselves safe from the zombie horde. One character goes so far as to compare the people living there to western townspeople protecting themselves from Native Americans. Horses figure in the story because society has fallen and power for machinery is limited.
Our protagonist's older brother fills the roll of the lone gunslinger with his own code, making him noirish, too. There's no law in these parts, so you've got outlaw types who are far worse than the zombies, just as you had outlaws in westerns. Our heroes head out of town to save their woman from said outlaws. There is even a scene that calls to mind the cavalry coming over the rise to save the day.
For those of us who grew up with parents who watched westerns on TV every night of the week, it's fun to pick up all the western, well, cliches. (I didn't enjoy doing this anywhere near as much while watching
Defiance.) It's been a long time since television was populated by cowboys, though. The western connection won't be an issue one way or the other for younger readers.
Rot & Ruin is an apocalyptic novel that works for me because the society in it isn't stagnant. So often in these books the world goes to pieces and stays that way for generations. No one shows any interest in technology or even changing the height of a hemline. Given the last 500 years or so of human existence, that seems unrealistic to me. Cultures evolve.
And there are suggestions that the culture portrayed in
Rot & Ruin is going to. It's only been 14 years since the world fell to zombies, and already the young people who are growing up there are thinking that they'd like something better. If the zombies come, it seems likely to me that before long people are going to get sick of them and start thinking of ways to make a better life. Trying to make a better life is what we do.
I received
It's a Book by
Lane Smith for my birthday. I recall it getting a lot of attention when it was published in 2010, and I can remember something else, too, though I'm having some trouble putting my finger on it. Was there just a little bit of controversy over this thing? Maybe because of the text on the last page? Because some considered it too adult?
I think the whole book is kind of adult. It's all about a monkey trying to get through to a jackass that a book is a book, not an electronic device. The whole issue of children being too plugged in too early seems to be a very adult concern to me, not one that children are even aware of. You could make the argument that that is the point, to make children see this before they become too enamored of electronics. But if kids haven't yet become enamored of electronics will they understand terms like "text," "tweet," and "Wi-Fi?"
There's an overt message in
It's a Book, I think, one that adult readers concerned about keeping reading a traditional book-centered activity will embrace. That's okay. I'm a big fan of picture books for adults. In fact, it could be a fun read-aloud for them with their little ones. I don't know how many young picturebook readers will get this on their own, though.
The Grimm Legacy. Polly Shulman. 2010. Penguin. 325 pages.
The Grimm Legacy has an intriguing premise. Wouldn't it be fun if fairy tales were true and there were magical artifacts gathered together in a library collection in New York? Wouldn't it be fun to work in such a library, such a collection? To be able to 'try' some of these artifacts yourself. But it isn't all fun as our heroine, Elizabeth Rew, and her fellow pages (Marc Merrit, Anjali Rao, Aaron Rosendom) learn. For someone is attempting to steal the real magical objects and replace them with fakes. And the attempt is succeeding. These four teens (Elizabeth, Marc, Anjali, and Aaron) must learn to work together--despite great personality conflict--to solve the mystery of WHO is stealing from the Grimm Collection. This fantasy novel has mystery and drama for it's a dangerous task before them.
While I liked the book well enough to keep reading, I didn't love it. I just didn't make a good connection with the characters. Some of the characters were interesting; for example, Anjali has a very spirited sister that plays an important role in the novel. But I wasn't satisfied with their development; the characters just didn't feel believable enough.
Read The Grimm Legacy
- If you enjoy YA fantasy
- If you enjoy fantasy
- If you are interested in the second novel in the series which involves time travel! It's called The Wells Bequest!
© 2013 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
I recently finished reading my niece's copy of
Dark Days by
Derek Landy, Book 4 in the
Skulduggery Pleasant series. What's that? You're wondering where my niece got
Dark Days, since she is an all American girl and this book isn't published in the U.S. of A.? Why, she got it from her favorite aunt, who ordered it for her from England for Christmas. Yes, I know. All young people should have aunts like me.
When we last saw Skulduggery here at
Original Content, over
two years ago, he was in dire straits. I will not get into how dire, because you can get that particular book in this country, and I don't want to spoil it for you. Since this is a series (that is becoming a little more seri
al like) I don't think I'm giving too much away to say that he's functioning in this book.
I have to admit that this time around I had trouble keeping all the bad guys straight. Since many of them had appeared in earlier books, if some American publisher had seen fit to publish this one, that might not have happened because I would have read it closer to the last book. I am also going to quibble with the
red shirt moment that occurs around the halfway point in which two brand new characters appear so that they can be killed off right away. I wasn't enthralled with the ending.
The book is still filled with the wit this series is known for, though. And I'm very much liking the suggestion that Skulduggery may be quite a bad guy. For those two reasons, and because I think it will make my niece happy, last night I ordered the next two books in the series,
from England, for her birthday. They should be here just before Easter, when I'm hoping RJ will be here to eat my holiday bread and cake, though I am not sure exactly what form they will take this year.
My Easter cake is up in the air, but I'm certain I'll be able to read the next two Skulduggery books in rapid order.
By:
Becky Laney,
on 12/26/2012
Blog:
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War Horse. Michael Morpurgo. 1982/2010. Scholastic. 176 pages. This one surprised me. I didn't expect it to be so good, so compelling. After all, I don't "like" horse books. But. This little book is narrated by a horse named Joey. We get a glimpse of his life before--before he became a war horse, sent to Europe as part of a cavalry unit of British soldiers. We meet the son of his first owner, Albert, a boy who LOVES him oh-so-much, a boy who would do just about anything and everything for "his" horse. Joey is sold to the army because of the family's need for money. Albert is distressed, and Joey has to adapt for better or worse. But life does go on...readers get a glimpse of World War I as seen through the eyes of a horse. And it is an ugly, ugly mess. But the book, as a whole, is not as depressing as it might have been. That's not to say it's a cheerful book, but, it has many redeeming qualities. I love Joey's resilience; I love Albert's determination. There are some sad, brutal moments, but, it felt genuine and authentic--not manipulative.Read War Horse- If you like horse books
- If you don't like horse books
- If you like historical fiction set around World War I
© 2012 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
Dear America: The Diary of Abigail Jane Stewart, The Winter of Red Snow, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. Kristiana Gregory. 1996/2010. Scholastic. 192 pages.
The Winter of Red Snow is my third Dear America novel to read, and it is probably my least favorite. The Revolutionary War is not one of my favorite time periods to read about. The book is set in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, and the heroine's mother does George Washington's laundry while he's there. Readers learn a little about the hardships endured by just about everyone. Abigail and her older sister have opportunities to help the soldiers--sewing shirts, sewing coats, etc. And the father is a cobbler, so he's able to help as well. The book is rich in details, I think if I'd cared more about the time period I would have found it more interesting.
Read The Winter of Red Snow- If you enjoy historical fiction
- If you enjoy diary books
- If you enjoy books set in Colonial America around the American Revolution
© 2012 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
The Dragon's Apprentice. James A. Owen. 2010. Simon & Schuster. 376 pages.
The series has remained entertaining, but it's so complex now! Time has been unraveled--the Keep of Time is no more--and both worlds are in great danger, not particularly from the Winter King, but from a darker, more ancient Evil. The Caretakers have lost the ability to travel in time AND the ability to travel to the Archipelago. Both worlds are in danger, the Archipelago perhaps will experience the danger first, but, in the end the real world faces the threat of overwhelming darkness too. This adventure has the team of Caretakers (plus a varied assortment of talking animals) traveling through the one remaining door from the Keep of Time, the door that Madoc traveled through in the previous book, and spending a great amount of time in the 1760s. (Meeting Daniel Defoe, Benjamin Franklin, etc.) Can time be restored? Can darkness be defeated?
I am still enjoying this series. This book is the result of a whole series of consequences. For every previous decision, readers are now witnessing the full consequences of every person's actions and decisions. And I think it may also be the darkest or bleakest of the series. I can't wait to begin the newest book in the series, The Dragons of Winter.
Read The Dragon's Apprentice
- If you're a fan of the series. If you've read Here There Be Dragons, Search for the Red Dragon, Indigo King, Shadow Dragons.
- If you're a fan of fantasy, mythology, and classic literature
- If you enjoy mystery, adventure, and espionage with your fantasy
© 2012 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
The Red Queen. Philippa Gregory. 2010. Touchstone. 432 pages.
The light of the open sky is brilliant after the darkness of the inner rooms. It has been a few years since I read the White Queen by Philippa Gregory, and while I remember enjoying it, I don't remember loving it. At least not enthusiastically. I found The Red Queen to be compelling and fascinating, a surprisingly quick read! The heroine of this one is Margaret Beaufort (aka Margaret Tudor, Margaret Stafford, Margaret Stanley); she may perhaps be better known simply as the mother of Henry VII, and the grandmother of Henry VIII. Like the White Queen, The Red Queen is set during the mid-fifteenth century during the War of Roses. Margaret is loyal to Lancaster. And her first marriage--arranged when she was just a child and consummated when she was still so very young--resulted in the birth of a son, the male heir in the House of Lancaster. That is if Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou's own son Prince Edward, died, Henry Tudor would be the next Lancaster heir to the throne. But when the Yorks prevail and take the throne, Margaret's dreams are put on hold indefinitely--though never, ever forgotten. She will have her son on the throne, she will if it's the last thing she ever does, she'll see her son established on the throne of England. The Red Queen is told almost exclusively from the Lancaster side of the war. Readers meet Margaret, her two Tudor husbands Edmund and Jasper, her son Henry, her next two husbands Henry Stafford and Thomas Stanley. In addition to briefly meeting other historical figures like Elizabeth Woodville, Elizabeth of York, etc. Of course, Richard III enters into the picture, but, perhaps with the exception of the big, big battle scene, he's more someone the other characters talk about, gossip about, plot against, etc. This is without a doubt the Lancaster side of the story.
I definitely found this one fascinating. I just could not put it down!!! True, the first chapter or two were slow for me, but, things quickly changed. I would definitely recommend this one to those who love historical fiction. Read The Red Queen
- If you enjoy historical fiction
- If you enjoy reading about royals
- If you enjoy this time period, the War of Roses
© 2012 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
Chloe and the Lion. Mac Barnett. Pictures by Adam Rex. 2012. Hyperion. 48 pages.This is me, Mac. I'm the author of this book. This is my friend, Adam. He's the illustrator of this book. And this is Chloe. She's the main character of this book. Wherever Chloe went, she looked for loose change. Poor Chloe, she's really not the star of this book. What is this book really about? Well, it's about the tug-of-war between the creative spirit of the author and the creative spirit of the illustrator. This adventure starts off okay, they agree that Chloe is a fun-loving girl who saves up all her coins, her money, so she can ride the merry-go-round in the park every Saturday. The fight starts with what happens one Saturday on Chloe's way back home....
The author feels that Chloe should meet a LION. The illustrator thinks it would be cooler if Chloe met a DRAGON. The two cannot settle their differences, so the author writes the illustrator out of the book....but is that the end of this story?
Chloe and the Lion is a very quirky book. It celebrates writing, drawing, storytelling, and teamwork. While I didn't personally love it, I do think it's a very unique book.
Extra Yarn. Mac Barnett. Illustrated by Jon Klassen. 2012. HarperCollins. 40 pages. On a cold afternoon, in a cold little town, where everywhere you looked was either the white of snow or the black of soot from chimneys, Annabelle found a box filled yarn of every color. So she went home and knit herself a sweater. And when Annabelle was done, she had some extra yarn. So she knit a sweater for Mars, too. But there was still extra yarn. And when Annabelle and Mars went for a walk, Nate pointed and laughed and said, "You two look ridiculous." "You're just jealous," said Annabelle. "No, I'm not," said Nate. But it turned out he was. And even after she'd made a sweater for Nate and his dog, and for herself and for Mars, she still had extra yarn. Annabelle LOVES, LOVES, LOVES to knit. And since her supply of yarn seems to be never ending, there's a good chance that her whole town will soon be covered in sweaters, scarves, and hats. But while many people welcome Annabelle and appreciate her special gift, there is one person who is very, very jealous...and he's willing to go to great lengths to get what he wants....
Extra Yarn is very quirky; it's definitely unique! For example, readers meet Mr. Crabtree.
She made sweaters for everyone, except Mr. Crabtree, who never wore sweaters or even long pants, and who would stand in his shorts with the snow up to his knees. "No sweater for me, thanks," said Mr. Crabtree. So she made Mr. Crabtee a hat. And even then Annabelle still had extra yarn.
The characters, the story itself, the illustrations--there's just something very unique, very distinctive, very quirky about this one. Jon Klassen is the illustrator, and readers may notice that the animals from Klassen's I Want My Hat Back make an appearance in this one.
Oh no! (Or How My Science Project Destroyed The World). Mac Barnett. Illustrated by Dan Santat. 2010. Hyperion. 40 pages.Oh no...Oh man...I knew it. I never should have built a robot for the science fair. Everything was going so well...Until the rampage started, that is. Our narrator is a young girl who was a little TOO excited, a little TOO ambitious with her science fair project. Can she find a solution to the problem? Can she use her smarts to save the day?
This one was funny, in my opinion. The story was a little over-the-top, but in a good way. The text is simple, which gives the illustrations plenty of room. The illustrations do steal the show, perhaps. But the text is brilliant in its simplicity. "I probably shouldn't have given it a superclaw, or a laser eye, or the power to control dogs' minds" and "I should have given it ears. I should have taught it how to read."
Oh No! Not Again! (Or How I Built A Time Machine To Save History) (Or At Least My History Grade). Mac Barnett. Illustrated by Dan Santat. 2012. Hyperion. 40 pages.Oh no. Not again. What a disaster. This is even worse than that time I built a gigantic rampaging robot. I didn't get a perfect score on my history test. I can't believe I missed the first question. Luckily, there's a simple solution. I just need to build a time machine and change history so I am right. Let's get this show on the road.She's back. And this time the subject is history. When she misses the first question on her history test: "In what modern country do we find the oldest prehistoric cave paintings?" inspiration strikes again. She'll just build a time machine to make sure that Belgium has cave paintings that predates those in France. The problem? Well, you might guess that changing the past isn't that simple and definitely has dozens of consequences. I won't spoil this one for you, I really think you should read this one for yourself, but let's just say it's good...and she'd have been better off being happy with her A.
Read Mac Barnett
- If you're looking for quirky, fun, funny, humorous, unique, distinctive picture books on a wide range of subjects.
- If you're looking for books that celebrate creativity, art, and problem-solving.
- If you're looking for books that celebrate storytelling.
© 2012 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
Bink & Gollie. Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee. Illustrated by Tony Fucile. 2010. [September 2010] Candlewick Press. 96 pages. "Hello, Gollie," said Bink.
"What should we do today?"
"Greetings, Bink," said Gollie.
"I long for speed."
"Let's roller-skate!" This chapter book contains three stories starring two friends: "Don't You Need a New Pair of Socks," "P.S. I'll Be Back Soon," and "Give a Fish A Home." I liked the two friends--one very short, one very tall--almost from the start. But while I like the characters, none of the stories really wowed me. The first story, "Don't You Need A New Pair of Socks" comes closest, perhaps. In this adventure, Bink discovers super-super bright socks at a bargain price. She loves her new socks so, so much. Gollie, however, is not a fan. At all. Bink later wants pancakes, Gollie, is happy to oblige, if and only if, Bink removes her offensively obnoxious oh-so-bright socks. Bink is hungry, very, very hungry, but she LOVES her socks. What is needed is a compromise, Bink removes one of her socks so she can have half a plate of pancakes. The second story is about wanting some alone-time. The third story is about a fish. The third story was probably my least favorite.
I did like the characters. I liked the friendship. I liked seeing the two contrasting personalities find ways to make it work.
Bink and Gollie: Two for One. Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee. Illustrated by Tony Fucile. 2012. [June 2012] Candlewick Press, 96 pages. Bink and Gollie are back for three more stories: "Whack a Duck," "You're Special, Aren't You?" and "Without Question." All three stories are set at a carnival or fair. In the first story, the poor man at the "Whack a Duck" booth gets more abuse than he bargained for. Poor Bink has terrible aim. She doesn't mean to keep hitting him with the ball--she really doesn't. But she WANTS to win the world's largest donut. In the second story, Gollie gets stage fright when she enters a talent show. In the third story, the two girls visit a fortune teller and hear about how they are going to be great friends always.
I definitely like the two characters Bink and Gollie. I like the characters more than I like the actual stories. Though the writing is good, I like some of the phrasing, for example. "Whack something?" said the duck man.
"Win something?"
"I fear this can only end in tragedy," said Gollie.
"Did I win?" said Bink.
"Oh, Bink," said Gollie. "There are no winners here."
"Don't worry, Bink," said Gollie. "I'm sure the Whack-a-Duck man will be just fine."
"But I've never seen a grown man cry before," said Bink.
"Three bags of donuts, please," said Bink.
"I didn't win," said Bink.
"But we're all still alive," said Gollie.
"Duck a whack," said the duck man. "Step right up."
Read Bink & Gollie
- If you like Kate DiCamillo
- If you are looking for new early readers/chapter books to share with young readers
- If you are looking for stories that emphasize friendship
© 2012 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
I have to admit that I don't have a lot of interest in Albert Einstein. I picked up
Albert Einstein when I saw it at the library because I recognized the author,
Kathleen Krull's, name. I remember her picture book
Fartiste, and I liked what I thought was the novelty of her book
Lincoln Tells a Joke. Plus, I believe Kathleen is a Facebook friend. My point being, that name is definitely filed away in my mind, and when I saw it on a book cover, the metaphorical equivalent of a bell rang.
I found
Albert Einstein, part of Krull's
Giants of Science series, to be a
very readable
book. Seriously, on a couple of occasions I looked forward to going back to this book over some other ones I was reading at the time. The text seemed as if it could have come from one of those well done magazine profiles that often grab me.
I can't say that I have a better understanding of what Einstein actually did, though I think I do have a grasp of his process. I have a much better understanding of the significance of his work in the bigger scheme of things. I am left, after reading
Albert Einstein, not liking him very much. That was an interesting aspect of this book. I felt that Krull put out details of Einstein's personal life (his treatment of the women in his life, for instance) without making any value judgments, herself. I, however, felt free to do so. I also felt she did a good job of placing him within his time period and showing historical events' impact upon him. In one case, in particular, she showed the impact he appears to have had on a historical event.
This book includes a list of sources, but no citations in the text. I am seeing this in nonfiction books for adults, as well as children, and don't know what the significance is. The absence of citations wouldn't keep me from encouraging a young person to read the book.
There are a lot of misfit-boy stories out there. There are a lot of misfit-boy-who-likes-comics-or-some-other-formerly-outsider-interest out there. It's a scenario that I probably liked the first few times I saw it, but, you know me. My tolerance for familiarity isn't all that great.
The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep And Never Had To by
D.C. Pierson is very well done, but I almost gave up on it early on, because even though it is funny and poignant, lots of those misfit-boy stories are funny and poignant. I felt I'd read it before.
I stuck with it, though, and the payoff was that Pierson has mashed up that well known misfit-boy story with a science fiction tale. The science fiction aspect actually comes right out of the comic book world the main character, Darren, and his friend, Eric (the boy who couldn't sleep), have been creating. This is what gives
The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep And Never Had To a feel of the new. That's what kept me reading.
Pierson is a subtle and impressive writer. An example: Darren, our main character, has an older brother who is like something out of
A Clockwork Orange, which is mentioned at one point. (The brother is probably modeling himself on
Fight Club, but I haven't seen that, so I can't be sure.) Big Bro' really is repugnant. Yet, he goes to Outback with his father and younger brother every week. The three of them take off at Christmas time. In what passes as a generous act, he gives his younger brother drugs and doesn't make him pay for them. In this chilling guy is something rather family oriented. A reader can feel that if he doesn't get killed or imprisoned, he could turn out okay.
I found
The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep And Never Had To in the YA section of my local library. Yet it appears to have been
published as an adult book. It seems a YA book to me. Yes, Darren is telling his story after it occurs--a couple of years after it occurs, when he's a freshman in college. We're hardly talking a whole lot of adult perspective on the experience here. Yes, there's a lot of rank language and drug use and some real sex, not just the thinking about it kind. I can't recall having read a YA with drug use, but certainly rank language and sex appears in the genre. I can't think of a real reason why this couldn't have been published as YA. I do think it can be viewed as coming-of-age--"Oh, I had a life-changing, grown-up experience." Personally, I think adult readers like that kind of thing more than teenagers do, so maybe these kinds of books get published as adult because that's where their biggest fans may be.
Plot Project: I don't think Darren's story is about something he
wants and struggles to get. It's much more about a disturbance to his world--he finds out that his new friend never sleeps, is sort of a living and breathing science fiction character. What possibilities does that open?
My Dad is the Best Playground. Luciana Navarro Powell. 2012. Random House. 26 pages. [Board Book]My dad is the best playground, the most fun of all. He's the highest swing and a great climbing wall.Dad is the longest tunnel I've ever crawled through.Monkey bars, seesaw, and a bouncy trampoline, too.These two little ones just LOVE their Dad. He does make the best playground, after all. Where big sister goes, baby soon follows, as you'll notice as you read this fun and playful new board book by Luciana Navarro Powell. The text is fun, playful, spirited, definitely matching the energy of the characters. The rhyming works for me, for the most part. I would definitely recommend this one!
Higher! Higher! Leslie Patricelli. 2010. Candlewick Press. 30 pages. [Board Book]Higher! Higher!How high can a father push his little girl on the swings? Read Leslie Patricelli's oh-so-delightful book Higher! Higher! and see for yourself. A little imagination goes a long, long, long way you'll see. For she goes higher and higher and higher, and she just might make it all the way to outer space! The illustrations are at the heart of this one, it is in paying attention to the illustrations that you'll find delight. The text of this one is extremely simple: just one word "Higher!" repeated again and again and again...as one little girl has a very fun time playing with her Dad.
Faster! Faster! Leslie Patricelli. 2012. Candlewick Press. [Picture Book]Faster! Faster!I really LOVED Leslie Patricelli's Higher! Higher! I've loved all her baby books really. Faster! Faster! is no exception. In this playful follow-up, readers see a little girl and her Dad at the park once again. She wants a ride on his back, this time. (The swings are occupied, did you notice?!) She wants him to go faster! faster! Can Dad go faster than a dog chasing a ball? faster than a rabbit? faster than an ostrich? faster than a horse? Read for yourself and see!!! Just how long can he keep up this fast pace?! It is imaginative, fun, playful, spirited. And very, very simple!!!
Read My Dad is the Best Playground; Higher! Higher!; and Faster! Faster!
- If you've got little ones, energetic little ones that love to play and bounce and imagine
- If you're looking for books that encourage play, time spent with Dad
- If you're looking for fun books to read out loud
- If you're a fan of Leslie Patricelli
© 2012 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
Wild Romance: The True Story of a Victorian Scandal. Chloe Schama. 2010. Walker & Company. 249 pages.
Loved the first half of this nonfiction book on the life of Theresa Longworth, but, the second half which chronicles her world-travels after her oh-so-famous trials left me bored.
I picked up Wild Romance: A Victorian Story of a Marriage, a Trial, and a Self-Made Woman because I'm a fan of Victorian literature. I've read a handful of novels that fall into the "inspired-by" category. Authors whose works deal with irregular marriages--Irish, Scottish, etc. Marriages whose legitimacy was sometimes called into question. Since in some cases, just saying "We're married" with no paperwork, no witnesses, no priest or clergyman could do the job. At the time, there was definitely debate about what made a marriage or union legal or illegal.
In the case of Theresa Longworth, she "married" allegedly married on two different occasions in two different countries, a man named William Charles Yelverton. In the moment, I suppose, he was willing enough. The couple traveled together as man and wife for a short time at least. But when the two separated, I believe he was in the military, he changed his mind. He found someone new, someone with money to marry. And marry he did. Theresa finding out after a very difficult illness that "her" husband was now married to someone else...and he was claiming that they'd never, ever been married. Furthermore, he started saying that she was chasing him, had been chasing him for years and years, and that she was the one who wanted a more intimate arrangement.
The first half of this one follows their "courtship" and "marriage" leading up to a handful of trials in a handful of countries. And these court cases meant big, big, big publicity. Especially for her, she had a way of winning the public's support...but not so much anyone else. Some thought his new wife was much, much classier mainly because she stayed quiet and stayed at home.
So the book gives readers very detailed accounts of their correspondence. And in a way, the book encourages readers to make up their own minds. Was Theresa Longworth pursuing him? Was she going above and beyond what was allowed of ladies of the time? Was there something indiscreet and shameful in her letters to him? Was she ever grounded in reality? Was William Charles Yelverton a jerk? Did he ever mean to do right by Theresa? Was lying to her about being married the only way he saw of getting her into bed?
The second half of the book, for better or worse, lets readers know what happened next in her life. And what happened next is that she started traveling the world. All over the world. She wrote about her travels and had them published. (She also wrote two novels, though reviews were mixed at best.)
The book concludes by discussing how this real-life court case inspired dozens of novels of the time.
Read Wild Romance
- If you're a fan of Victorian literature; particularly of Wilkie Collins.
- If you're interested in history; if you're interested in this time period
- If you're interested in court cases and scandals and he-said, she-said dramas
- If you're interested in travel writing, in following the chronicles of a woman traveler during this time period.
© 2012 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
Becoming Queen Victoria: The Tragic Death of Princess Charlotte and the Unexpected Rise of Britain's Greatest Monarch. Kate Williams. 2010. Random House. 464 pages.
I absolutely LOVED this book!!! In fact, I think it's a true must-read. I should probably add some clarification: I LOVE history, I LOVE literature or classics, I love historical novels and historical romances. For anyone who reads classics written or published during nineteenth century--from 1800 on--this one could prove to be oh-so-enlightening! For anyone who reads historical novels (or historical novels with a touch of romance) set during this time period, this book could prove quite interesting!!! Whether you're a fan of books set during the Regency or Victorian periods, this one could help you connect the dots. Will every reader want to connect the dots between real life and fiction? I'm not sure. For me, it was everything I wanted and more!!!
The first half of this one is setting the stage for Victoria. This includes focusing in on the royal family a good three to four decades before her reign. It means discussing George III, George IV, and William IV. It means discussing all of the brothers (and some of the sisters) of the royal family. It means focusing in on their dysfunction, their failures, their messes. One big story in this section is the marriage of George IV and Queen Caroline. It was a BIG, BIG, BIG mess. Oh, how these two hated one another! They did have one daughter, Princess Charlotte. She was the heir to the throne, no question about it. She was the future of the kingdom, and she was loved, beloved. She married Leopold of Saxe-Coburg, who later became King Leopold I of the Belgians, and their wedding was a HUGE affair. But this fairy-tale wedding, fairy-tale marriage, was not to be. No, they didn't fall out of love. No, they weren't torn apart by scandals. She died in childbirth. Reading about that was truly scary. Why? Well, readers get detailed descriptions of medical treatments, of the art or science of medicine at the time. And not only in the chapter about Charlotte, but in the treatment for the other royals too. And it is scary, scary stuff! So what did Charlotte's death mean to the nation?! It meant EVERYTHING. All of these royal brothers with no legitimate heir to the throne, with no real marriages to speak of amongst them, it meant they had to rush, rush, rush to the altar to marry women almost half their age; it meant that they were in great competition to have children. Of course, it wasn't just a matter of being the first to have a child, their rank mattered too. (Duke of Clarence ranking more than Duke of Kent, Duke of Kent ranking more than Duke of Cumberland, Duke of Cumberland ranking more than Duke of Cambridge, etc.) And this book explores those years, the rivalries, the politics, the scandals, the gossip.
But this one is, of course, about Queen Victoria. Readers learn about her father, the Duke of Kent, and her mother, Victoria, the sister of Leopold, a Saxe-Coburg. Readers learn about her earliest years--from birth on. Readers learn details great and small about her upbringing, the big and small events that marked her life and led to the greatest of them all, her inheriting the throne and leading a nation for over sixty years. The last chapters deal with her marriage to Albert, to their relationship--personal and private. Some attention (very brief in comparison with other periods of her life) is given to her having so many children. But this is almost more of an epilogue to the book than a genuine source of information.
For anyone who loves history, who loves the details behind history--bi
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Becky Laney,
on 5/29/2012
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The Lord is My Shepherd. (Psalm 23 Mysteries) Debbie Viguie. 2010. Abingdon Press. 320 pages.
More than anything, Cindy Preston hated Mondays. I was skeptical about this book, I'll be honest. I had no idea if it would be something I'd like. But I like to challenge myself to take risks...occasionally. And I am definitely glad I took a chance on Debbie Viguie's The Lord Is My Shepherd. This one is mystery-suspense-thriller. Cindy Preston, the heroine, is a church secretary who discovers--literally stumbles upon--a dead body in the sanctuary of the church one Monday morning. But it isn't just any Monday, no it's Holy Week, it's the Monday of Easter week. Her screams draw the attention of the Rabbi next door, Jeremiah Silverman. Together they meet the police detective...and so it begins.
I really, really, really enjoyed this one!!! It was so hard to put this one down. I definitely liked the heroine, Cindy Preston. I thought she was a good balance. On the one hand, she's terrified and in shock, on the other hand she's strong and strong-willed. She may be afraid--and she may have good reason to be afraid--but she isn't going to be ruled or enslaved by that fear. Not that she's careless. And as for Jeremiah Silverman, well, I loved him!!! I did. I just loved him!!!
Read The Lord Is My Shepherd
- If you like murder mysteries OR thrillers OR suspense novels
- If you enjoy "Christian fiction" on the light side; there is nothing heavy-handed or preachy about this one.
© 2012 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
America's Doll House: The Miniature World of Faith Bradford. William L. Bird, Jr. 2010. Princeton Architectural Press. 128 pages.
From the book jacket:
One of the most popular exhibits at the Smithsonian Institute is a dollhouse. Sitting on the museum's third floor is the five-story home donated to the museum by Faith Bradford, a Washington, D.C. librarian, who spent more than half-a-century accumulating and constructing the 1,354 miniatures that fill its 23 intricately detailed rooms. When Bradford donated them to the museum in 1951, she wrote a lengthy manuscript describing the lives of its residents: Mr. and Mrs. Peter Doll and their ten children, two visiting grandparents, twenty pets, and household staff. Bradford cataloged the Dolls' tastes, habits, and preferences in neatly typed household inventories, which she then bound, along with photographs and fabric samples, in a scrapbook. In America's Doll House, Smithsonian curator William L. Bird, Jr., weaves this visual material into the rich tapestry of Faith Bradford's miniature world. Featuring vibrant photography that brings every narrative detail to life. America's Doll House is both an incisive portrait of a sentimental pastime and a celebration of Bradford's remarkable and painstaking accomplishment.
I almost never rely on summaries written by other people, but, in the case of
America's Doll House, I couldn't think of a better way to say it. After all, if that description made me WANT to pick this book up, then maybe it will make you want to do the same!!! I can't say that the description fits the book exactly--in one or two phrases, I think there is a bit of exaggerating going on. But. Still.
America's Doll House has a mini-biography of Faith Bradford. Readers learn a bit about her childhood, how she came to start her miniature collection, how this was a hobby she shared with her sister, how almost all of her original collection was lost (and/or stolen). Readers learn a bit about her private life and public life, her career as a librarian. Readers gain a bit of background into the times. Readers really see how this hobby shaped her life--through the decades--and how important it was to her, how absorbing of a pastime it was to her.
But America's Doll House also has a mini-lesson on the Smithsonian museum. Readers learn about what the museum was like at this time--late 40s through late 50s. Readers learn about what exhibits the museum had. Which exhibits were the most popular, where they were located, how various people responded to the museum. Perhaps most importantly it focuses on the tension of the times. The desire to have collections for their historic value, for their social value, but at the same time be new and modern and relevant to the times. Many pages are spent talking about money, talking about new buildings, remodeling, etc.
The book is very detailed in the relationship between the museum and Faith Bradford. How she came to donate her collection. What she expected the museum to do for her and her collection. How she wanted it displayed, etc. Also there is some discussion about a second dollhouse she had built for the museum. A doll house that went straight to storage--for better or worse. Going back to the tension of the times. The book also mentions that this second dollhouse is now missing. (Oh, how sad that sentence made me.)
Over half the book is photographs. And these photographs are good. The detail is much greater than the photos displayed on the online exhibit site. You can see the details of each room. You can see the dolls themselv
Moon Over Manifest. Clare Vanderpool. 2010. October 2010. Random House. 368 pages.
The movement of the train rocked me like a lullaby. I closed my eyes to the dusty countryside and imagined the sign I knew only from stories. The one just outside of town with big blue letters: MANIFEST: A TOWN WITH A RICH PAST AND A BRIGHT FUTURE. I thought about my daddy, Gideon Tucker. He does his best talking in stories, but in recent weeks, those had become few and far between. So on the occasion when he'd say to me, "Abilene, did I ever tell you 'bout the time...?" I'd get all quiet and listen real hard. Mostly he'd tell stories about Manifest, the town where he'd lived once upon a time.
His words drew pictures of brightly painted storefronts and bustling townsfolk. Hearing Gideon tell about it was like sucking on butterscotch. Smooth and sweet. And when he'd go back to not saying much, I'd try recalling what it tasted like. Maybe that was how I found comfort just then, even with him being so far away. By remembering the flavor of his words.
This was my third time to read Clare Vanderpool's historical novel, Moon Over Manifest. (I read it twice in 2010.) It is one of those books--in my opinion--that reads just as good, if not better, upon rereading. I never get tired of reading great books, of books that are among 'my favorite and best.' How could I ever know which books were truly my favorites unless I reread them again and again?! How could one reading of a great book ever, ever, ever be enough?!
Moon Over Manifest is a coming-of-age novel that is a historical mystery. The heroine, Abilene, is a young girl who's just arrived--in her own way, in her own style--in the town of Manifest. She's heard a few stories from her father--this is the town where he spent some of his childhood; but she knows she's just got a fraction of the stories. For there are many, many things she doesn't know about her father--past or present. Like, she doesn't really understand why her father is sending her away now. Yes, it's the depression. Yes, times are hard. Yes, life on the road is tough and unpredictable. But isn't being together worth it? She has certainly always thought so...
So the novel has a framework to it. There is the modern-day story with Abilene and her brand-new friends as they set about discovering clues to the past--letters, newspaper articles, special objects, etc. And the flash-back story that stars Jinx and Ned--two young men who are the best of friends. This is the story set during the first world war. This is the story that sees one of the young men going off to war and never coming back home. This is the story that shows the devastation of the 'Spanish' influenza. And that's just the beginning.
I loved so many things about Moon Over Manifest. The characterization. The storytelling. The writing. I definitely recommend this one...
Read Moon Over Manifest
- If you're a fan of historical fiction
- If you're looking for a book set in the 1930s
- If you're looking for a book set during World War I
- If you like storytelling
- If you like historical mysteries
- If you like coming-of-age stories
© 2012 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
By:
Becky Laney,
on 9/27/2011
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The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan (#1 Heroes of Olympus) 2010. Hyperion. 576 pages.
Even before he got electrocuted, Jason was having a rotten day.I had my doubts. Even though it's Rick Riordan, I had my doubts. How could The Lost Hero hope to compete with The Lightning Thief. It could be good, it could even be really good. But how could it really compare with such a great book?! For me, that was THE best book, the one that was the best of them all. Yes, the series as a whole was a good adventure, but the first one? Well it was OH-SO-MAGICAL!
I was surprised by how much I loved this one. I thought it was a great read. Compelling, exciting, and magical!!! It has multiple narrators. Now practically every book with multiple narrators has me sharing with you how much I really don't like that element in books, but with this one it WORKED and worked well. It didn't feel awkward or silly like it does in Rick Riordan's other series--The Kane Chronicles, The Red Pyramid and The Throne of Fire.
Our narrators, our heroes and heroines, are Jason, Piper, and Leo. Two have been under the protection of Coach Hedge, the third appears out of nowhere on a school field trip. The mist effecting everyone's memories--even Piper and Leo. (Piper just KNOWS that Jason has been her boyfriend for weeks. She can almost remember every moment they've ever shared.) But trouble is coming and the three will have to fight to survive long enough to reach the safety of Camp Half-blood. To complicate matters, Jason has NO MEMORY at all of who he is or where he came from.
So the book does feature a quest, and it is EXCITING. I won't go into the details of this one. Chances are if you're familiar with Percy Jackson and his series, then you'll want to read this new series anyway. And if you haven't read Percy Jackson yet, if you've yet to discover the joys of The Lightning Thief, then this is NOT the place to start your journey with Rick Riordan.
© 2011 Becky Laney of
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The Search for Wondla by Tony DiTerlizzi. 2010. Simon & Schuster. 477 pages.
Eva Nine was dying. The tiny scarlet dots on her hand mirrored the glowering eyes of the snake that had just bitten her.I didn't love The Search for Wondla. I'm not even sure I liked it. One of the reasons it didn't quite work for me was that the ending left me unsatisfied. I wanted to shout at the book, "That's not an ending!" Then again, maybe it's not fair to judge a first book in a series by the ending.
Eva Nine, our heroine, may just be the last human on the planet. She has spent her whole life underground in Sanctuary. She was raised by a robot--albeit a robot with a mothering program built right in. (Muthr is always, always nagging Eva Nine to do this or that. Little things like picking up her room, etc.) When the novel opens, Eva Nine is in the middle of a test to determine if she's ready to live Sanctuary and venture into the real world above ground. Her muthr isn't convinced that she is ready. But she's going to give her one more chance, if Eva Nine doesn't improve, well, they may just have to go back to the basics.
Six Basic Survival Skills for Humans
1. Trust technology
2. Signal others
3. Find shelter
4. Create fire
5. Procure food and water
6. Know first aid
But ready or not, Eva Nine may be forced into the cruel, ugly world of unknowns. When someone breaks into sanctuary--destroying it in the process--Eva Nine is forced to flee the only home she's ever known. She is taking a few technological items with her, like her Omnipod, but what she soon discovers is that NO technology can protect her now, keep her safe, or guide her. The whole world--the whole planet--is unknown.
But Eva Nine won't be on her own for long, though her companions are not human--not even close.
The Search for Wondla is a blending of so many genres and subgenres. It's both science fiction and fantasy, in my opinion. It's an adventure story--a survival story. And of course it's one big mystery. Where is Eva Nine? What planet is she on? How did she get there? Is she really, truly the last human? Where did all these species come from?
The world Tony DiTerlizzi created is interesting. At times I found it confusing, I had to keep telling myself to keep reading and that it would start making sense eventually if I just read long enough. And that worked, for the most part. It helped when I decided the confusion might just be intentional. Eva Nine, our heroine, is thrust into a world that is completely foreign to her. She doesn't recognize any of the trees or plants. She doesn't recognize any of the life forms. These creatures--animals--speak in their own languages. She doesn't know what's dangerous and what's safe. She's completely out of her element.
Have you read this one? What did you think?
© 2011 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic. Jennifer Trafton. With illustrations by Brett Helquist. 2010. Penguin. 352 pages.
From the prologue: There is a very good possibility that you will not believe a word I say. Alas, it is the risk all historians take. The truest things are often the most unbelievable.
There is an island in the world, a small but lovely piece of earth, which its inhabitants call (rightly or wrongly) the Island at the Center of Everything. On the day before my story begins, it was as nearly perfect a place as an island in the world could reasonably expect to be.
From the first chapter: On a dark night in a dense forest while the great wide wonder of the stormy sky threatened to burst through the trees and swallow her up, a girl lost her hat.
This would not be an event worth recording in the annals of history, except that the girl not only lost her hat, she lost her head. Which is to say, she panicked. When a gust of wind swept off her hat and sent it flying above the trees, she left the path she had been so carefully following to run after the vanishing blue speck. It is not surprising that when she finally recovered her head and sat down to think, she realized that she had now lost both her hat and her way home.
I loved The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic. I just LOVED it. For me, at least, it falls into the practically-perfect-in-every-way category of books. The kind of book that you read and instantly fall in love with. The kind of book that you want to reread again and again. The kind of book that you want EVERYONE to know about so they can read it themselves and discover how wonderful it is.
Persimmony Smudge, our heroine, lost her hat and thus saved the world. For if she hadn't lost her hat, she wouldn't have gotten lost. And if she hadn't gotten lost, she wouldn't have been chased. And if she hadn't been chased, she wouldn't have sought refuge in a hollow tree. And if she hadn't been hiding in that tree, she wouldn't have heard the conspirators talking about digging for the king's gold. And if she hadn't heard about the gold, she wouldn't have known to warn the King. And if she hadn't warned the King, she would have never been sent on her quest. And that quest turned out to be oh-so-important. To the king, it was a joke. But some dangers shouldn't be laughed at! Especially when that danger is...
Well, of course, I'm NOT going to tell you!!!
This book is delightful. It's just a JOY to read this one! Great story! Great writing! Great characters! I loved Persimmony. I loved the characters she meets along the way. Some, of course, are friendly. Others not so much. King Lucas the Loftier, for example, is SUCH a brat when we first meet him. I liked Worvil the Worrier--he reminded me of Puddleglum from The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis. And then there is the King's adviser, Professor Quibble. I loved the world she created. I enjoyed getting to know the different inhabitants of the island: the Leafeaters, the Rumblebumps, and the humans (Sunspitters).
It's a fantasy novel and adventure story--complete with quest. It also has a fairy tale feel to it.
A broom. A hat. A girl. A hole. Such small things in a big world. But without the small things, there would be no story to tell, and--most importantly--I would not still be alive to tell it. (14)
"I need more pepper. I can't live without pepper! Don't you know that my thirteenth birthday is less than two weeks away? How can I have a birthday party without any pepper to serve my guests? It would be...It would be...It would be extremely discumbersomebubblating."
"I beg your pardon, Your Highness, but I believe you mean discombobulating."
I am always on the look out for books that support the curriculum at my school. I am always on the look out for good books. So imagine my delight when I found the perfect combination of the two while browsing my local public library shelves.
First off,
Trickster is gorgeous. It has shelf appeal and format appeal coming out the wazoo. And then comes the content, which does everything else all kinds of justice.
As you can imagine, what lies within is a collection of trickster tales that are haunting, beautiful, humorous and clever all at once. There are 20 tales in all, and readers will find some common threads between tales.
Azban and the Crayfish (Bruchac, Bruchac, & Dembicki) tells the story of a clever raccoon and a lying crayfish, while
How Wildcat Caught A Turkey (Stands With Many & Sperry) tells a similar tale about a tricky rabbit and some not-so-lucky turkeys. Not all of the stories feature animals alone as some may assume. The tall tale of
Moshup's Bridge (Perry, Piers & White), and
When Coyote Decided to Get Married (Thorsgard & Arrington) are just two of the stories that feature human characters along side a cast of animals.
Stylistically, the art runs the gamut from hauntingly realistic illustrations to cartoon, yet the collection never feels disjointed. Each story is like a fresh new breath, and the art simply compliments the feeling.
End-notes feature a statement from Matt Dembicki speaking of his inspiration to get this collection together. After reading
American Indian Trickster Tales, by Ortiz and Erdoes he realized how little he knew of Native American culture and wanted to put together a collection of tales in sequential format. Dembicki wanted to make sure that the stories were all written by Native American storytellers and that he had the support of the community. The end product is this collection. There are also mini biographies of all of the storytellers and artists involved in the creation of
Trickster, and these are sure to give inspiration to budding storytellers and artists alike.
While I will be returning this collection to the library, I will also be going out to purchase it to live on my book shelf at home.
The Boss Baby. Marla Frazee. 2010. Simon & Schuster. 40 pages.
From the moment the baby arrived, it was obvious that he was the boss. He put Mom and Dad on a round-the-clock schedule, with no time off. And then he set up his office right smack-dab in the middle of the house. He made demands. Many, many demands. And he was quite particular. If things weren't done to his immediate satisfaction, he had a fit.Thus begins The Boss Baby a charming, oh-so-delightful look back at the early days of parenthood written by Marla Frazee. I loved this one from the first spread. The art had me at hello. (It was very retro.) And the text, well, the text was clever and fun. The joke--the 'office' humor--could have gotten old perhaps in the hands of another author. But. I found this one to be so true-to-life, so charming, so funny--in a clever, grown-up way--that it worked from cover to cover.
This is a picture book that I found myself reading and rereading just so I could take in every detail.
© 2011 Becky Laney of
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I read this one not that long ago. I think it was a good premise and I think I'm okay with this being the first in a series (considering that series books have a tendency to get on my nerves, in general) because I liked the characters and I look forward to seeing them get developed.
I read this book a couple years ago. I thought the idea was fun and could make a fascinating series. I was disappointed as I thought the author missed out on a great opportunity. The story and the characters felt flat.
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