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कार्टून – Cartoon -असली खुशी – Happiness is Celebrating Day 5 जून को विश्व पर्यावरण दिवस मनाया जाता है. दिन कोई भी हो उसे मनाने मे अलग ही मजा आता है और अगर दिन हो हमारी धरती को सहेजने का यानि पौधे लगाने की फिर तो बात ही अलग है.. बहुत खुशी होती है जब […]

The post कार्टून – Cartoon -असली खुशी – Happiness is Celebrating Day appeared first on Monica Gupta.

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Category: Middle Grade/Young Adult Fiction
Format: Hardcover
Keywords: Identity, Culture, Revolution, Evacuation, Family, Historical Fiction

Find the synopsis on goodreads.com. 
How I found out about this book: The Story Siren's 2010 Debut Author Challenge led me to look for more new authors. I read the synopsis and thought, this is going to be great!

My Review: I'd never really thought about Castro's 1961 takeover of Cuba and its effect on children. I'd never even heard of Operation Pedro Pan, which flew lots of Cuban refugees, in their teens and younger, into the US. The Red Umbrella gives a moving, personal glimpse into the life of Lucia, just 14 years old, who is sent with her little brother to live in Nebraska.

I adored this book. The possibility that Lucy and Frankie may never see their parents again kept bringing tears to my eyes. Lucy's just a regular girl, concerned with cute boys, the latest fashions, and going to the movies with her friends. Strange things begin to happen in their little town as a result of the Communist takeover, and it's interesting to see how she learns to deal with these changes. The lessons she learns about strength, family and friendship will stick with readers long after the symbolic red umbrella makes its final appearance.

I kept wondering, if I were in her shoes, would I have fallen for all the brainwashing, the Communists' calls to "honor" and "duty" that tore children from their families and sent them into dangerous places? Would I have thought that I was doing the right thing to turn in someone who was being disloyal to the government? It's easy now with hindsight, and because I am at least twice the character's age, but I still found her reactions unsettling and was very satisfied with the character development in this book.

I also felt very connected to Lucia's culture--they use some of the same words we say in the Philippines, like "basta" and "sigue"! I love flan just as much as her little brother Frankie does (that reminds me, there's some in the fridge, BRB).



Who should read this book: Middle grade readers will have a fine time with this book. It would be interesting to know how non-Spanish speakers react to the interjected lines of Spanish. My grasp of Spanish is good enough to be able to read through and not get lost, and the glossary in the back of the book helps, too! There is a little hint of death and violence, but most of the action is happening at a remove, and is not quite so scary as it could be. I think everyone should read this book with a box of tissues. And I think Pedro Pan kids, and their kids/grandkids should read it together, and share those tissue boxes!

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You know, I've read about 20 books since the last time I did a full-fledged review post. The list is here. I almost feel like I can't go back and review them all because the sheer volume of catching-up-to-do makes me want to quit reading and make knitting my one and only hobby. (Just kidding. I love knitting, but I don't think I could ever actually quit reading. Or meat-eating. Or cookies.)

So, I'll give you a quick one on my latest book, and then pick up from there.

Category: Young Adult Paranormal Fantasy
Format: Hardcover
Keywords: Wolves, Sisters, Family, Secrets, Action/Adventure, Romance

Find the synopsis on goodreads.com.

How I found out about this book: Started following Jackson Pearce on Twitter

Quickie: Wolves, weapons, and an eye-patch-wearing heroine. Who can stay away?

My review: I've been burned by a lot of pretty covers with nothing between the boards but a flaccid romance, an over-reaching plot and wispy, if at all present, themes. So when Sisters Red hit the shelf I borrowed it and let it sit around for a week before I made a commitment to read a few pages. I mean, look at that cover! Eye candy, but what's in it?

By page 22 I had made a buying decision, returned my loaner copy, and brought my very own book home. By page 77 I had forgotten I had a headache. By page 259 I was biting the nails off the hand that wasn't holding the book. Trust me, this one's a keeper--the insides as beautiful as the outside. Meaty plot, scorching-hot romance, and fiesty female protagonists make Sisters Red a must-read.

The imagery, intricacy, and the subtle, but not-so-subtle construction of this story made me wish I had written it. Come on: Scarlett, scarred, inside and out, trying to shelter her little sister and make her grow up at the same time. Rosie, trying to be brave, training to hunt, trying to be just like Scarlett, and still wondering who she would be without the wolves. Silas, cut off from his family, wedged between two lovely, if bloodthirsty girls--well, you can see where this is going? Or can you?

I loved the trio of main characters, the tension between sisters and would-be-lovers, the truly terrifying natures of the evil creatures they hunt (and strangely more unsettling, the real-world evils that they don't touch). This was a well-balanced, expertly conceived YA novel, and the first to make it to my Top Ten of 2010 list.

I have more to say, but it's almost 2 am and you're going to read it anyway, aren't you? For more comments, visit my Goodreads.com review.

Sisters Red is Jackson Pearce's second novel.
Find the author at http://jacksonpearce.com, on Twitter @jacksonpearce

Short

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1. More than half the bones found in your entire body is located in your hands and feet.

2. We are all colorblind at birth.

3. Blood is actually and organ.

4. When born we have 350 bones but when fully grown we only have 206

5. Research has shown that guilt damages your immune system. Spell check won’t let me type the reason why. 

6. We are basically water bags, 70% of our body is water.

7. We take about 600,000,000 breaths a lifetime.

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1. More than half the bones found in your entire body is located in your hands and feet.

2. We are all colorblind at birth.

3. Blood is actually and organ.

4. When born we have 350 bones but when fully grown we only have 206

5. Research has shown that guilt damages your immune system. Spell check won’t let me type the reason why. 

6. We are basically water bags, 70% of our body is water.

7. We take about 600,000,000 breaths a lifetime.

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The First most Common word used in the world is Incompetent

Definition-not competent; lacking qualification or ability; incapable: an incompetent candidate.

The Second most Common used word in the world is Idiot

Definition-an utterly foolish or senseless person.

The Third Most Common Used Word In The World is ignorant

Definition-lacking in knowledge or training; unlearned: an ignorant man

The fourth most common used word in the world is Honor/Honorable

Definition-High respect, as that shown for special merit; esteem: the honor shown to a Nobel laureate.

The last Most common use word in the world is selfish

Definition-devoted to or caring only for oneself; concerned primarily with one’s own interests, benefits, welfare, etc., regardless of others.

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The First most Common word used in the world is Incompetent

Definition-not competent; lacking qualification or ability; incapable: an incompetent candidate.

The Second most Common used word in the world is Idiot

Definition-an utterly foolish or senseless person.

The Third Most Common Used Word In The World is ignorant

Definition-lacking in knowledge or training; unlearned: an ignorant man

The fourth most common used word in the world is Honor/Honorable

Definition-High respect, as that shown for special merit; esteem: the honor shown to a Nobel laureate.

The last Most common use word in the world is selfish

Definition-devoted to or caring only for oneself; concerned primarily with one’s own interests, benefits, welfare, etc., regardless of others.

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Want to get someone’s attention subconciously, want to get on someone’s nerves?  You need to annoy them, and here is how you can do it.

1) Crack your knuckles/toes.  Cracking your knuckles is easier and more common, but if you can crack your toes, that really gets their spine tingling.  Not only is it not common, it sounds louder and more painful.

2) Bite your nails.  Just the sound of that can drive some people insane.

3) Keep staring at a certain part of someone’s body.  For instance, pretend you see a giant zit on someone’s cheek and keep staring at it to the point where they need to move away.

4) Be sloppy.  Untuck your shirt halfway, have a milk mustache, and have long fingernails (if you’re a guy) all at the same time.

5) Last but not least, Talk!  Talk about anything and everything.  See an ant, talk about it.  It must be touch for ants, huh?  Is that a tree?  What a nice tree.  You’re nice; why are you so nice, it’s amazing!  You know what’s amazing?  Magicians.  It’s not real magic though.  It looks like it though, but it’s just tricks.  Like in the song, you know, sing with me. “It’s tricky! It’s tricky!”.  What you don’t like singing?  It’s good for the heart….and so on.

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Want to get someone’s attention subconciously, want to get on someone’s nerves?  You need to annoy them, and here is how you can do it.

1) Crack your knuckles/toes.  Cracking your knuckles is easier and more common, but if you can crack your toes, that really gets their spine tingling.  Not only is it not common, it sounds louder and more painful.

2) Bite your nails.  Just the sound of that can drive some people insane.

3) Keep staring at a certain part of someone’s body.  For instance, pretend you see a giant zit on someone’s cheek and keep staring at it to the point where they need to move away.

4) Be sloppy.  Untuck your shirt halfway, have a milk mustache, and have long fingernails (if you’re a guy) all at the same time.

5) Last but not least, Talk!  Talk about anything and everything.  See an ant, talk about it.  It must be touch for ants, huh?  Is that a tree?  What a nice tree.  You’re nice; why are you so nice, it’s amazing!  You know what’s amazing?  Magicians.  It’s not real magic though.  It looks like it though, but it’s just tricks.  Like in the song, you know, sing with me. “It’s tricky! It’s tricky!”.  What you don’t like singing?  It’s good for the heart….and so on.

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Everything's back to normal. A big old award came out and I missed hearing about it until now. Apparently the more than deserving Ellen Klages has won the Scott O'Dell Award for The Green Glass Sea. Roger Sutton, who announced the results on his blog, was on the committee that selected the winner. A big congrats going out to Ms. Klages, then. Hers was a truly enjoyable novel and worthy of the honor.

Thanks to Roger Sutton for the link.

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