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Blog: A. PLAYWRIGHT'S RAMBLINGS (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: humor, funny, playwriting, At the Supermarket, playette, Scenes from Life: a short playette, Add a tag
Blog: Galley Cat (Mediabistro) (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Funny, essay contest, Add a tag
Leslie and Paul Spell, the owners of the Humble Heart Farms, are hosting an essay contest. This Alabama-based couple will award their 20-acre property and 85 goats to the winner.
Here’s more from Mashable.com: “The Spells are asking each entrant to pay a $150 submission fee, and said they hope to get 2,500 entries in all, which would total $375,000. This amount will be used to pay off the rest of their mortgage, while $20,000 will be given to the contest winners, according to the Spells. What’s more, the couple said they’ll train anyone who isn’t experienced in making goat cheese.”
Writers should to submit a 200-word (or less) piece. A deadline has been set for October 1st at 11:59:59 p.m. Central Time. Follow this link to read all the rules.
Add a CommentBlog: A. PLAYWRIGHT'S RAMBLINGS (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: comedy, dialogue, funny, entertainment, A Wedding, a wedding play, first scene of play, humor scene 1, Add a tag
Sharing the first scene of my first play, "A WEDDING" a.k.a. "MAKE ME A WEDDING." A comedy, the story focuses on the trials and tribulations of a young couple who want a small, intimate wedding, versus the bride and groom's mothers, who want an all-out, no holds barred (expensive) affair.
In this opening scene, the bride announces her engagement to her parents.
kitschy French-provincial furniture, circa 1970’s. On
either side of the couch are two end tables with drop
“crystal” lamps on each table
his wife, sits in an armchair, absorbed in her knitting.
She glances up from time-to-time to watch MORTY
SADIE
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MORTY
SADIE
MORTY
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Blog: Shelf-employed (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: songs, funny, parrots, E, digital audiobook, Add a tag
Below is my review of Jon Agee's Terrific as it appeared in the April 1, 2015 issue of School Library Journal. The review was slightly edited from my original. I didn't refer to Eugene as "the boy." Eugene is definitely not a boy, as you can see by the cover illustration. ;)
AGEE, JON. Terrific. 1 CD. 7 min. Dreamscape. 2014. $14.99. ISBN
PreK-Gr 2--Eugene's life follows Murphy's Law--if something can go wrong, it will. And when inevitable misfortune falls, Eugene's favorite expression is a sarcastic, "Terrific." So, it's no surprise that when
Copyright © 2015 Library Journals, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.
Reprinted with permission.
Listen to an excerpt from Terrific here.
Blog: Galley Cat (Mediabistro) (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Scarlett Johansson, Videos, Funny, Add a tag
Have you ever envisioned a Black Widow movie? Scarlett Johansson, the actress who has played this character in several Marvel movies, teamed up with the Saturday Night Live cast to explore this project idea.
The video embedded above features the hilarious spoof trailer for a fake film called Black Widow: Age of Me. Marvel Entertainment has many projects in the pipeline, but unfortunately none of them focus solely on the deadly female assassin Natasha Romanova.
Add a CommentBlog: Galley Cat (Mediabistro) (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Funny, Comic Books, Archie Comics, Add a tag
Archie Comics and Syfy are partnering together for a crossover project called Archie vs. Sharknado. This special comic book and the third Sharknado movie (Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!) will both be released on July 22nd.
Sharknado trilogy director Anthony C. Ferrante wrote the story. Famed artist Dan Parent created the artwork.
Here’s more from the press release: “Just when Archie and the gang think they can kick back and enjoy a few months of beaches, naps and sun, they’re faced with a storm of sharknados – heading straight for their hometown of Riverdale. Archie and his friends have to battle the incoming pop culture storm as it creeps up the “Feast” coast to Riverdale – and then try to save what’s left of their hometown. Who lives? Who dies? Read the book!”
Add a CommentBlog: A. PLAYWRIGHT'S RAMBLINGS (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: humor, comedy, death, funny, play, plants, short play, comedy sketch, play-ette, continuing story, Mr. and Mrs. Everybody talk plants, plant life, scenes from life - a short playette, short comedy, Add a tag
SCENE: DEN IN THE EVERYBODY HOUSEHOLD.
AT RISE: MRS. EVERYBODY IS HAVING AN IMPORTANT CHAT WHILE MR. EVERYBODY IS READING A NEWSPAPER
MRS. EVERYBODY
Why? Why must you torture me like this? What did I ever do to deserve this treatment other than heap undying love and devotion to your upkeep?
(MR. EVERYBODY glances up and returns to reading his book)
MRS. EVERYBODY
You seem to be dying slowly right in front of my eyes and I'm at a loss how to save you
MR. EVERYBODY
(looking around)
You talking to me?
MRS. EVERYBODY
Fed you top of the line nutritional supplements and this is the thanks I get
MR. EVERYBODY
I appreciate your cooking, honey. You make fantastic meals and really, I'm in great shape
MRS. EVERYBODY
You are not aging well, sweetheart
MR. EVERYBODY
(gets up to examine himself in the mirror on the wall behind him)
For the record, I'm in better condition now than I was when we married. Sure there's a few extra inches on my stomach but that's due to your good cooking. Work out on the tread mill...
MRS. EVERYBODY
I fear it's time for us to part, sweetheart. You are halfway between this world and the next
MR. EVERYBODY
Say what? Is it something I said?
MRS. EVERYBODY
You've given me a lot of pleasure over the years. Your nightly performance kept me riveted and it's something I will cherish all my life
MR. EVERYBODY
Hey! There's still a lot of life left in this body! Is there somebody else? I can change, y'know!
(MRS. EVERYBODY turns around and stares at her husband)
MRS. EVERYBODY
It's just so hard to say goodbye! Did you say something?
MR. EVERYBODY
You never said a word. I deserve to know who's the new love of your life!
MRS. EVERYBODY
Say what? What are you babbling about?
MR. EVERYBODY
You're leaving me!
MRS. EVERYBODY
Are you insane? You thought that... That is really funny
MRS. EVERYBODY
There is nothing funny about being informed that your wife is leaving your for someone else. It's always the husband that is the last to know
MRS. EVERYBODY
Husband of mine - I was talking to my prayer plant here that is slowly croaking after 40 years and I'm about to replace her with a new one
MR. EVERYBODY
How was I supposed to know? There was only you and me in the room and I never guessed you were talking to a...a... house plant
MRS. EVERYBODY
I've raised this houseplant from a small little stalk. Fed her...coddled her...and she gave me years of pleasure but lately she seems to have taken a turn for the worst. The writing is on the wall...or in this case, in all those brown leaves.
MR. EVERYBODY
A plant is a plant is a plant. Don't know what the big thing is. Just empty the pot and replace it with a new one. Simple
MRS. EVERYBODY
How could you be so cruel and callous! You just can't...discard it like it that!
MR. EVERYBODY
I dunno. Never bothers you to do that with your clothes
MRS. EVERYBODY
Besides, I read an article that said plants can sense pain and they react to it. How could I betray my friend after all the years we've been together? I feel like a killer! I feel like I'd be ripping out her guts and tearing her apart
MR. EVERYBODY
Not that I pretend to feel what you feel but check this out
(MR. EVERYBODY shows her a page of the newspaper)
MRS. EVERYBODY
What's this? The Plant-a-atrium is having a sale on houseplants?
(turns to look at plant and at newspaper ad)
(MRS. EVERYBODY cont'd.) 'Parting is such sweet sorrow my formerly green friend. Go meet your other friends in the composter! Do not think badly of me for I shall remember you with great fondness.' I'm ready.
MR. EVERYBODY
Ready for...?
MRS. EVERYBODY
To make new friends at the Plant-a-atrium, silly! We all gotta go some time. I mean, it's just a silly plant for heaven's sake...
Blog: Galley Cat (Mediabistro) (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Trends, Etsy, Funny, Kanye West, The Bible, Add a tag
People throughout human history have invented a great number of deities from Zeus to Odin to Allah. One creative has decided to put a new spin on the book of Genesis by replacing every reference to the name God with that of controversial hip hop star Kanye West.
The Etsy shop owner behind “the Book of Yeezus” calls his “novelty coffee-table book” a “Bible for the New Age.” Each unit sells for $20.00.
Here’s more about the item: “In a sense, Kanye’s awesome and orchestrated spectacle is truly a religious experience. In a foreword, we explore our consumerist, quick-fix, and information-culture, and celebrate Kanye and the outsized significance he plays in our lives. All of this, bound in a black, hard-cover gold-leaf imprinted book.” (via The Hollywood Reporter)
Add a CommentBlog: Galley Cat (Mediabistro) (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Videos, Funny, Sesame Street, Game of Thrones, Add a tag
Have you ever played a high stakes game of musical chairs? The Sesame Street gang stars in a Game of Thrones-themed parody called “Game of Chairs.”
The video embedded above has drawn more than 177,000 views. It features a quartet of competitors who are all vying to be the supreme monarch of Jesteros.
Add a CommentBlog: Galley Cat (Mediabistro) (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: People, Funny, Brad Garrett, Add a tag
Everybody Loves Raymond actor Brad Garrett announced the release of his first book.
Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, will publish When the Balls Drop on May 5th. In the video embedded above, Garrett reveals some of the topics he explores in his essays: “middle age,” “mid-life crisis,” and “erectile dysfunction.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, ABC may develop the content from this book into a sitcom. At the moment, “the pilot script for the single-camera comedy is being penned by Garrett and How I Met Your Mother writer Chuck Tatham. Like the book, it will examine the life of a divorced, middle-aged man trying to balance home life and work.”
Add a CommentBlog: Shelf-employed (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: wolves, E, picture book roundup, libraries, books, book review, funny, wordless, rabbits, Add a tag
Here are two new funny additions to add to my earlier post, Picture Book Roundup - new or coming soon!
We were reading these at work the other night. All you could hear were laughs, chuckles, and "awww"s.
- Dyckman, Ame. 2015. Wolfie the Bunny. New York: Little Brown. Illustrated by Zacharia OHora.
This one had all the library staff laughing! Wolfie is the cutest little wolf in a bunny suit, but the star of this story is his sister, Dot. Doesn't anyone else realize that a wolf does not make a good brother for a bunny? Every time I read it, I find something else amusing in the illustrations. See you at the Carrot Patch Co-op! (Bring your own shopping bag.)
- Slater, David Michael. 2015. The Boy & the Book. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge. Illustrated by Bob Kolar.
This wordless book about a book and a "rough-and-tumble" little boy will crack you up and then make you say "Awww!" It's sure to become a librarian favorite. You'll love the blue book (but "read" them all!)
Blog: Galley Cat (Mediabistro) (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Trends, Funny, Add a tag
Could you ever picture The Cat in The Hat eating tacos? How about The Lorax chowing down on a burrito?
Two members of the BuzzFeed staff, writer Jean-Luc Bouchard and artist Andrea Hickey, collaborated on a story called “Dr. Seuss Goes To Chipotle.” This Theodor Seuss Geisel-inspired piece was created “with heaps of love and respect for Dr. Seuss, as well as full-bellied appreciation for Chipotle.”
Here’s an excerpt: “I asked for one meat. And then? Why, for two! Ignoring the digestive impact I would rue. And that’s how I made-up a bowl of half-sneetch and a just-as-big ladle serving of beast.”
Add a CommentBlog: Shelf-employed (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: birds, vampires, dogs, favorites, funny, toddlers, kindness, rabbits, hamsters, farms, E, space travel, Advance Reader Copy, Add a tag
This edition of the Picture Book Roundup features "jampires" (!), two Stanleys (one dog, one hamster), and a new Kadir Nelson book for which I can't find enough superlatives. Enjoy!
- Nelson, Kadir. 2015. If You Plant a Seed. New York: Harper Collins.
If You Plant a Seed is a brilliantly written and exquisitely illustrated book about kindness. Sparse but meaningful text, combined with joyfully detailed illustrations of plants, birds, and animals. I love it!
- MacIntyre, Sarah and David O'Connell. 2015. Jampires. New York: David Fickling (Scholastic)
Who could be sucking all the jamminess out of the doughnuts? Jampires! Will Sam find jam? Will the Jampires find their nest? If you like funny, this is the best!
- Bee, William. 2015. Stanley the Farmer. New York: Peachtree.
Stanley is a hardworking hamster. Illustrations and text are bright and simple, making Stanley a perfect choice for very young listeners. Along the lines of Maisy, but with a crisper, cleaner interface. Nice size, sturdy construction.
- Agee, Jon. 2015. It's Only Stanley. New York: Dial.
The Wimbledons can't sleep. What IS all that noise? It's only Stanley, the dog. He's howling at the moon, fixing the oil tank, making catfish stew, ...? Hey, something's fishy here! Classic Jon Agee - droll humor at its best.
Review copies of Jampires, Stanley the Farmer, and It's Only Stanley were provided by the publisher.
Blog: Galley Cat (Mediabistro) (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: contest, Funny, Add a tag
Janice Sage, the owner of Center Lovell Inn and Restaurant, is hosting an essay contest. This Maine-based innkeeper won this 12-acre property after participating in a similar competition back in 1993.
According to BuzzFeed, writers should send in a 200-word piece and a $125 entry fee. The submission should be postmarked by May 7th and must arrive at the Center Lovell Post Office by May 17th; Sage intends to announce the winner on May 21st. Follow this link to read all the rules.
Here’s more from The Portland Press Herald: “She hopes to receive 7,500 responses, or about $900,000, about what local real estate agents suggested as a listing price for the 210-year-old inn and two outbuildings overlooking Kezar Lake in Lovell. It is also an amount that would allow Sage to transition smoothly into retirement, her ultimate goal. She also hopes the novel approach will ensure that the inn will land in worthy hands.”
Add a CommentBlog: Galley Cat (Mediabistro) (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Videos, Funny, Jimmy Kimmel, Add a tag
Late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel recently held another book club gathering. Kimmel and the young members came together to discuss Simms Taback’s There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. This picture book won the Caldecott Honor back in 1998. The video embedded above has drawn more than 88,000 views—what do you think? (via ABC7news.com)
Add a CommentBlog: Galley Cat (Mediabistro) (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Digital, Funny, Add a tag
You may have heard of Katniss Everdeen and Tris Prior, but what about Valentine Neverwoods? This character stars in a parody story that is being published through the @DystopianYA Twitter page.
Less than one month after its debut, the eye-catching social media page has drawn more than 15,000 followers. Dana Schwartz, a writer and comedian, genuinely enjoys reading young adult dystopian novels. In an interview with BuzzFeed, she explained that she launched this hilarious social media account after realizing that many recent titles belonging to this genre feature similar attributes such as “trains, overly simplified first-person narration, and love triangles.”
Initially, Schwartz intended to write “a collection of random sentences and elements.” After receiving a plethora of positive responses from the Twittersphere, she wants “to try to add plot and tell something from start to finish.” Below, we’ve collected a selection of hilarious tweets in a Storify post embedded below—what do you think?
Add a CommentBlog: Galley Cat (Mediabistro) (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Lena Dunham, Jared Diamond, Digital, John Green, Funny, Add a tag
An anonymous group of New York City bibliophiles launched the “Hot Dudes Reading” Instagram account in early February. Less than one month after its debut, the eye-catching social media page has drawn more than 277,000 followers.
Thus far, 19 photos have been snapped from the subway. Some of the books being read by the subjects include John Green’s The Fault in our Stars, Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs, & Steel, and Lena Dunham’s Not That Kind of Girl.
Here’s more from The Huffington Post: “The creators are a group of 20 and 30-something male and female New Yorkers who, as they told HuffPost, ‘appreciate men with good looks and good books.’ As the creators told HuffPost, ‘Reading is fundamentally hot, and who doesn’t like to fantasize a little bit about the sexy stranger we spot sitting across from us?’ We can’t argue with that.”
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The doctor I work for actually showed me this video. We were coming back to Springfield after our out-of-town clinic last Friday and he, his PA and his nurse were talking about it. I mentioned not having seen it and Dr. M. pulled out his phone and showed me. (That sounds sort of dirty, lol).
What a cutie pie! Of course, after getting over the cuteness I would probably spank his little bottom but you have to admit, it’s pretty cute.
It won’t be so cute when he’s seven/eight though.
And you know he most likely picked up this “bargaining” power from the adults in his life. You can tell his mom is always saying, “Listen to me.”
This is a pretty terrible example to set for your child. Instead of teaching humility and responsibility, (“I’m sorry, mom. You’re right, I shouldn’t have tried to ask for cupcakes when you already told me I couldn’t have one”) it’s all about talking your way out of bad behavior.
Yes. Of course I realize he’s only three years old – you’re missing the point. Cute/funny aside, look at the big picture. What is this sort of behavior teaching him?
Kids are sponges. They react and learn from the people in their lives. Think about it.
Filed under: Funny
Blog: Perogies & Gyoza (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: animals, board book, funny, Canadian, ages 3+, Add a tag
Don't
Written by: Litsa Trachatos
Illustrated by: Virginia Johnson
Published by: Groundwood Books
Published on: October 14, 2014
Ages: 3+
This is a great, silly picture book for preschoolers that introduces animals and grammar, all while giving the reader the giggles.
Trachatos comes up with some amazingly illogical scenarios, starting with "Don't start a food fight with an octopus." Not only does the reader then have to think about that animal (hints are given on the next page) but they also get to laugh about the situation which would never happen. This is a huge deal in the preschool world, and this has been the best read aloud I have had at my library sessions in the last couple of years.
Johnson's watercolour illustrations deserve mention as well. Watercolour is a perfect medium for non-threatening depictions of threatening situations (nobody wants to find a bear in their bed!) and the simple children's faces frame the reactions to the ridiculous very well.
Highly recommended for anyone with a preschooler.
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JacketFlap tags: pets, War, Tree, cats, Christmas, humor, Battle, funny, Dad, Combat, It Made Me Laugh, Add a tag
I consider myself a war buff. I love reading historic accounts of combat. I don’t discriminate between time period or conflict. Because of the volume of material, I have probably spent more time delving into World War 2 than any other. When I was in the Army, I drove a beat up WW 2 era Deuce-and-a-half and always wondered about its history.
Historians argue about which battle is the greatest – Waterloo, Stalingrad, Hastings, Yorktown, Thermopylae, Guadalcanal, The Battle of the Bulge, the list goes on. Like everything else in life, no one can seem to agree. When compiling such a list, the qualifiers become important. Things such as lives lost, duration, strategies, and conditions all come into play when deciding which is supreme.
It’s not that I don’t have an opinion, I’ve got plenty of those. I just don’t like to argue in general. I get distracted or flustered and lose my place like when I drop my book and reread the same pages over and over again before I figure out where I left off. Only an argument is live, verbal combat. When I lose my place, I sit there open-mouthed wondering if I look as stupid as I feel. So like everyone else on the losing side, I hone in on one point and try to drive it home even if I am totally wrong and know it.
The Baltic Sea is in New Mexico. It isn’t? I will repeat that thirty-seven times, forcing you to get out your phone and Google it, which allows me time to escape the fracas unscathed. I’m gone, therefore I win.
This leads to my opinion of the greatest battle which I believe is a conflict going on today – right now! RIGHT NOW!
You might think I am waxing philosophically about a moral or ethical conflict for the hearts and minds of people. Think again, I’m nowhere near deep enough for that. No, I am talking about the Battle of the Christmas Tree going on in my den as I type.
This battle has two combatants: The cats vs. the presents. The cats investigated the tree the minute it arrived. They united their forces and conquered it quickly. It is now their territory and they are very protective of it. The two of them alternate on watch and have made a formidable occupation force. Their confidence never waned… until the presents arrived.
As presents do, they marched in slowly but steadily. They landed through the front door and also surprised the occupiers from the garage entrance. Strange men in brown uniforms delivered them, but some were brought in by the woman-thing who seems to be working for both sides. She pets and feeds the cats, yet adds to the stack of presents assaulting from every flank. She is a crafty sort. Worse yet, she puts little ribbons on top to lull the cats from their strategic high ground. They can’t avoid the ribbons, which are almost as alluring as the ornaments with bells.
I have no idea who will win this battle. Epic is too small a word for it. The cats seem to rule the night while the presents hold the day (sounds like a Billy Joel song). It is a seesaw affair likely only resolved by the Take the Tree to the Chipper Treaty.
That landmark agreement is coming soon. Until then, may peace reign in your home unlike mine – where it appears to be an elusive dream.
Filed under: It Made Me Laugh
Blog: A. PLAYWRIGHT'S RAMBLINGS (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Christmas, humor, Santa Claus, funny, sleigh, holiday story, senior, play-ette, Rudolph the Reindeer, The Visit - a Christmas tale, Add a tag
Wrote this a while back but have done some editing and bringing it back being that it's almost Christmas.
Paul Seaton, camera man
Blog: A. PLAYWRIGHT'S RAMBLINGS (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: play-ette, Mr. and Mrs. Everybody, At the Mall, mall sales, Christmas, humor, funny, parking lot, parking spot, Scenes from Life: a short playette, Add a tag
It’s in the next line over. I’ll have to drive around. I’ll never make it
Blog: (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: travel, family, vacation, Relationships, humor, parenting, Disney, funny, Disneyworld, parade, Dad, Fatherhood, It Made Me Laugh, Add a tag
I dislike parades. Not a little, a lot!
I don’t care about the pageantry or the spectacle. I just get bored. A.D.D.? Maybe. Every time I’m stuck watching them, I can’t find an ounce of enjoyment – I just think about two dozen other things I could be doing. This couldn’t be truer than when I’m at Disneyworld.
My kids, on the other hand, love parades. So when people start lining the streets, they want to stop riding roller coasters and wait. UGH…
Wait for what? Floats. No thank you! If a float doesn’t contain root beer and ice cream, I don’t want it.
I figure with half of the eligible riders standing along the parade route, the lines to the cool things are shorter. Not my family. We wait – and not for the good stuff.
A funny thing happened on our trip last week. We were headed to a ride at the back of the park while people were lining up for the parade. No one with me suggested we stop to watch (miracle), so I powered into the street. We must have been the last ones let out before they closed the rope because we found ourselves about 20 paces in front of the parade with all of its flags and music.
Maybe it was the fact that I was pushing my daughter’s wheelchair, or possibly because I looked so stately and official, but it became apparent that the spectators thought we were supposed to be the ones leading the parade. We all realized it at the same time as they clapped and waved at us.
My kids became confused.
They grouped together.
“Should we pull off and get out of the way?” they wondered.
The oldest asked, “What do we do?”
Of course they looked to me, the leader, the head honcho, the alpha male for direction and what did they find me doing?
Waving
With a dopey grin on my face, I waved back at all of my adoring fans.
♦
When life puts you at the front of the parade, smile and wave!
♦
The kids laughed at me, but it caught on. All of us began waving to the crowd.
You know what? Everyone waved back. The people didn’t think we looked out of place – they just waved at us. I wonder what they thought when the real parade came and they realized we didn’t belong. Oh well, we were gone by then. We walked over half of the parade route unencumbered by the bustling crowd until we got near the ride we wanted. Then we simply ducked into the masses and became one of them – anonymous once more.
I still hate parades… But for a moment, I was the grand marshal.
Filed under: It Made Me Laugh
Blog: Shelf-employed (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: space travel, Advance Reader Copy, YA, mystery, space, sci-fi, funny, murder, J, Add a tag
Below is my review of the audiobook Space Case by Stuart Gibbs, read by Gibson Frazier, as it appeared in the December 2014, issue of School Library Journal. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
GIBBS, Stuart. Space Case. 6 CDs. 6:28 hrs. S. & S. Audio.
2014. $29.99. ISBN 9781442376397. digital download.
Gr 3–7— The year is 2040. Dash, his sister, and their scientist parents are inaugural inhabitants of Moon Base Alpha (MBA), Earth's extraterrestrial colony. Housing only a few dozen people and governed by a strict commander, MBA is not exactly a barrel of laughs for a 12-year-old boy. However, when one of MBA's scientists dies suspiciously and a supply ship brings new residents (including a girl his age), life in space becomes much more intriguing. Though the story has many humorous moments—especially involving the insufferable wealthy space tourists—it also has some plausible science. Each chapter is preceded by a reading from "The Official Residents' Guide to Moon Base Alpha," NASA's part propaganda/part instruction manual, containing such riveting topics as "Exercise" and "Food." Narrator Gibson Frazier keeps the story moving at a good pace, conveying suspense without melodrama. Rather than create pitched character voices, he relies on intonation to differentiate among the large cast. His own voice is deep and clear but boyish enough to suit Dash. The narration flows smoothly, broken only by the humorously intended commercial quality of the "Official Resident's Guide." Space Case should appeal to a broad range of listeners but especially space enthusiasts.
Copyright © 2014 Library Journals, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.
Reprinted with permission.
Blog: Shelf-employed (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: book review, boys, series, cows, funny, J, pranks, Advance Reader Copy, Add a tag
Barnett, Mac and Jory John. 2014. The Terrible Two. New York: Amulet.
Miles is moving away from his beloved home at the beach to Yawnee Valley, where the slogan is "Come Look at our Cows." Miles Murphy, the best-known prankster at his old school, will be attending the Yawnee Valley Science and Letters Academy,
Miles awoke with a sense of dread. He opened his eyes and stared at his blank ceiling. Last night he'd dreamed it had all been a dream, and now he wished he were still dreaming.
Miles shut his eyes tight. He tried to fall back asleep, but downstairs he could hear his mother shuffling around the kitchen, preparing breakfast. Breakfast smelled like eggs. And cows. Although that might have just been the cows.
Miles ate his eggs. They tasted like dread, although that might've just been the dread.
When he's paired up with the insufferable school helper, Niles Sparks, Miles thinks things can't get worse, but they do. Someone else in school is a prankster, and whoever it is, he's outpranking Miles.
What's the best part about pulling a great prank? Getting away with it, or getting credit for it? Miles is about to find out!
This illustrated novel is the first in a series that's sure to appeal to middle-grade jokers and pranksters. The writing style is conversationally funny with great black-and-white illustrations that add to the humor, A goofy, cud-chewing cow with a bell stands in a pasture adorning half of page one, which reads,
Welcome to Yawnee Valley, an idyllic place with rolling green hills that slope down to creeks, and cows as far as the eye can see. There's one now.The Terrible Two has more than just humor. There are some intricate pranks woven into the plot, and there are well-developed characters in Miles, Niles, and Principal Barkin - all of whom are sure to reappear in future installments. It's got more text and fewer illustrations, but this series should be popular with Diary of a Wimpy Kid fans.
Note:
I have to add that this book had the best Advance Reader Copy promotion ever! I was totally pranked! I received a large box in the mail marked "Perishable." Inside was the big milk carton, and inside the milk carton was my copy of The Terrible Two, a coffee cup featuring cartoon images of the authors, and a signed certificate from The International Order of Disorder proclaiming the holder to be "a distinguished member of the International Order of Disorder." I will raffle this off to the members of my book club. Someone is going to be as happy as a cow in a cornfield!
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Lol. Merry Christmas Mark. Hopefully the battle will soon be over. God bless you and your family.
I am dug in for the long haul. Merry Christmas, Levi.
Merry Christmas, Mark. My vote is on the cats.
I think you are right! Merry Christmas. God bless, Onisha.
ah, yes. that cat troop is a very formidable group of adversaries.