Title: The Report Card
Author: Andrew Clements
What it's about: Nora's this really smart girl in the fifth grade. She's, like, a genius, really, but she keeps it hidden so she won't be pressured into gifted classes. Then she decides to do something to prove that grades don't matter as much as some people try to make out: she gets an awful report card. From there on, her plan unfolds and spirals out of control in ways that she can't even imagine.
What I thought: Cute and witty. Nora's an interesting narrator because she's both smart and normal, and her commentary on events shows both of these things. The premise is interesting, too, because it makes a good point: are standardized tests and whatnot really the best way of measuring intelligence?
Overall: Clements is a good writer, and this is another success.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Pippi in the South Seas
Title: Pippi in the South Seas
Author: Astrid Lindgren
What it's about: Pippi Longstocking and her friends have adventures, and then Pippi's father invites her to come to the island in the South Seas where he rules as king. Pippi, Tommy, and Annika go to Kurrekurredutt Island and have more adventures there, all in the typical Pippi Longstocking fashion.
What I thought: Who wouldn't absolutely love the antics that Pippi gets up to? Even as an older reader, I still crack up at the baldfaced lies that Pippi will tell, ridiculous as they are, the stories she invents, and the simply ridiculous things that happen when she's around. And yet everything makes sense in its own way. That's the charm of Pippi Longstocking.
Overall: Maybe not my favorite of the three Pippi books, but still absolutely enchanting.
Most excellent! I may yet meet the quota for June. I have a novel picked out for reading tomorrow afternoon, so I shall apply myself for that and have it read in time.
Author: Astrid Lindgren
What it's about: Pippi Longstocking and her friends have adventures, and then Pippi's father invites her to come to the island in the South Seas where he rules as king. Pippi, Tommy, and Annika go to Kurrekurredutt Island and have more adventures there, all in the typical Pippi Longstocking fashion.
What I thought: Who wouldn't absolutely love the antics that Pippi gets up to? Even as an older reader, I still crack up at the baldfaced lies that Pippi will tell, ridiculous as they are, the stories she invents, and the simply ridiculous things that happen when she's around. And yet everything makes sense in its own way. That's the charm of Pippi Longstocking.
Overall: Maybe not my favorite of the three Pippi books, but still absolutely enchanting.
Most excellent! I may yet meet the quota for June. I have a novel picked out for reading tomorrow afternoon, so I shall apply myself for that and have it read in time.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Lights! Camera! Action Dog!
Title: Wishbone Mysteries #11: Lights! Camera! Action Dog!
Author: Nancy Butcher
What it's about: A movie is being made in Oakdale, and Joe gets roped into participating. While he's on the set of this movie about Oakdale history, mysterious accidents start occurring, and Joe decides to get to the bottom of things.
What I thought: Well, first of all, one thing I liked was the character interactions in this one. Joe is kind of a jerk to Sam and David, which brings some interesting conflict. The book referenced in this book, Time and Again, is also a really great novel, and it has good parallels to this mystery's plot.
Overall: A very good book for this particular series.
Author: Nancy Butcher
What it's about: A movie is being made in Oakdale, and Joe gets roped into participating. While he's on the set of this movie about Oakdale history, mysterious accidents start occurring, and Joe decides to get to the bottom of things.
What I thought: Well, first of all, one thing I liked was the character interactions in this one. Joe is kind of a jerk to Sam and David, which brings some interesting conflict. The book referenced in this book, Time and Again, is also a really great novel, and it has good parallels to this mystery's plot.
Overall: A very good book for this particular series.
East of the Sun and West of the Moon and Other Tales
Title: East of the Sun and West of the Moon and Other Tales
Author: Collected by P.C. Asbjornsen and Jorgen E. Moe
What it's about: We've got twelve Norwegian folk tales in this collection: "East of the Sun and West of the Moon," "The Three Billy Goats Gruff," "The Husband Who Was to Mind the House," "The Lad Who Went to the North Wind," "The Princess on the Glass Hill," "The Giant Who Had No Heart in His Body," "The Blue Belt," "The Three Princesses of Whiteland," "Soria Moria Castle," "The Three Princesses in the Blue Mountain," "The Cat of Dovrefell," and "The Widow's Son."
What I thought: These tales are all really similar. Lots of repetition of things in threes, lots of youngest sons and youngest princesses, rings, wishes, and trolls. "East of the Sun and West of the Moon" is pretty interesting for having a female heroine, and it makes me want to read East as one of my next novels. "The Giant Who Had No Heart in His Body" was another one I liked. It had some neat elements, like the giant hiding his heart (something we also see in Paper Mario) and the prince befriending various animals who help him. I liked "The Blue Belt," too. "The Three Princesses in the Blue Mountain" is probably my favorite out of this collection, though, because of the world under the mountain. The whole collection, though, suffers from the traditional method of storytelling which focuses more on events than characterization.
Overall: A good collection of stories, if not the most engrossing.
Author: Collected by P.C. Asbjornsen and Jorgen E. Moe
What it's about: We've got twelve Norwegian folk tales in this collection: "East of the Sun and West of the Moon," "The Three Billy Goats Gruff," "The Husband Who Was to Mind the House," "The Lad Who Went to the North Wind," "The Princess on the Glass Hill," "The Giant Who Had No Heart in His Body," "The Blue Belt," "The Three Princesses of Whiteland," "Soria Moria Castle," "The Three Princesses in the Blue Mountain," "The Cat of Dovrefell," and "The Widow's Son."
What I thought: These tales are all really similar. Lots of repetition of things in threes, lots of youngest sons and youngest princesses, rings, wishes, and trolls. "East of the Sun and West of the Moon" is pretty interesting for having a female heroine, and it makes me want to read East as one of my next novels. "The Giant Who Had No Heart in His Body" was another one I liked. It had some neat elements, like the giant hiding his heart (something we also see in Paper Mario) and the prince befriending various animals who help him. I liked "The Blue Belt," too. "The Three Princesses in the Blue Mountain" is probably my favorite out of this collection, though, because of the world under the mountain. The whole collection, though, suffers from the traditional method of storytelling which focuses more on events than characterization.
Overall: A good collection of stories, if not the most engrossing.
A Wolf at the Door
Title: A Wolf at the Door and Other Retold Fairy Tales
Author: Edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling
What it's about: Stories include "The Months of Manhattan" by Delia Sherman, "Cinder Elephant" by Jane Yolen, "Instructions" by Neil Gaiman, "Mrs. Big: 'Jack and the Beanstalk' Retold" by Michael Cadnum, "Falada: The Goose Girl's Horse" by Nancy Farmer, "A Wolf at the Door" by Tanith Lee, "Ali Baba and the Forty Aliens" by Janeen Webb, "Swans" by Kelly Link, "The Kingdom of Melting Glances" by Katherine Vaz, "Hansel's Eyes" by Garth Nix, "Becoming Charise" by Kathe Koja, "The Seven Stage a Comeback" by Gregory Maguire, and "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" by Patrica A. McKillip.
What I thought: "Instructions" isn't really a story, just a collection of, well, instructions. Stuff to keep in mind if you find yourself in a fairy tale. Very witty and very keeping in line with the sort of stuff that I've known Gaiman to write. "Falada: The Goose Girl's Horse" is an interesting take on that fairy tale, but now that I've read The Goose Girl, I have to say I prefer the longer version. "Swans" was always a favorite of mine in this collection because of how it melds a fairy tale world with a modern one, references to magic and royal duties alongside Star Wars and a regular grade school. "Hansel's Eyes" I found pretty creepy but deliciously so. It's a great update to the old story. And I have to say that I just absolutely love "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" because it's at the same time so quintessentially a fairy tale and a more developed story.
Overall: A really great collection. Definitely worth picking up if you like fairy tales.
Author: Edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling
What it's about: Stories include "The Months of Manhattan" by Delia Sherman, "Cinder Elephant" by Jane Yolen, "Instructions" by Neil Gaiman, "Mrs. Big: 'Jack and the Beanstalk' Retold" by Michael Cadnum, "Falada: The Goose Girl's Horse" by Nancy Farmer, "A Wolf at the Door" by Tanith Lee, "Ali Baba and the Forty Aliens" by Janeen Webb, "Swans" by Kelly Link, "The Kingdom of Melting Glances" by Katherine Vaz, "Hansel's Eyes" by Garth Nix, "Becoming Charise" by Kathe Koja, "The Seven Stage a Comeback" by Gregory Maguire, and "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" by Patrica A. McKillip.
What I thought: "Instructions" isn't really a story, just a collection of, well, instructions. Stuff to keep in mind if you find yourself in a fairy tale. Very witty and very keeping in line with the sort of stuff that I've known Gaiman to write. "Falada: The Goose Girl's Horse" is an interesting take on that fairy tale, but now that I've read The Goose Girl, I have to say I prefer the longer version. "Swans" was always a favorite of mine in this collection because of how it melds a fairy tale world with a modern one, references to magic and royal duties alongside Star Wars and a regular grade school. "Hansel's Eyes" I found pretty creepy but deliciously so. It's a great update to the old story. And I have to say that I just absolutely love "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" because it's at the same time so quintessentially a fairy tale and a more developed story.
Overall: A really great collection. Definitely worth picking up if you like fairy tales.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Drive-In of DOOM
Title: Drive-In of DOOM
Author: Brad Strickland and Thomas E. Fuller
What it's about: The Moonlight is an old drive-in theater in Oakdale, and it's planning to re-open. Joe Talbot, Samantha Kepler, and David Barnes, along with their canine pal Wishbone, are excited about helping to get the drive-in into shape. But not everyone is behind this plan. Someone is vandalizing the theater, and it's up to Joe and his friends to figure out who it is.
What I thought: Okay, first of all, yes, the title really does have "DOOM" in capitals like that. I find it kind of really hilarious. Also, this is a pretty good book. Like all the Wishbone mysteries, it has a lot of good research behind it, and I felt that this one also did a good job of making the characters come to life. Plus, there's a bit more danger and excitement than in some of the stories, so that helps.
Overall: Good entry to the series.
Author: Brad Strickland and Thomas E. Fuller
What it's about: The Moonlight is an old drive-in theater in Oakdale, and it's planning to re-open. Joe Talbot, Samantha Kepler, and David Barnes, along with their canine pal Wishbone, are excited about helping to get the drive-in into shape. But not everyone is behind this plan. Someone is vandalizing the theater, and it's up to Joe and his friends to figure out who it is.
What I thought: Okay, first of all, yes, the title really does have "DOOM" in capitals like that. I find it kind of really hilarious. Also, this is a pretty good book. Like all the Wishbone mysteries, it has a lot of good research behind it, and I felt that this one also did a good job of making the characters come to life. Plus, there's a bit more danger and excitement than in some of the stories, so that helps.
Overall: Good entry to the series.
Moon Boy
Title: Moon Boy vol. 1
Author: Lee YoungYou
What it's about: So apparently, Myung-Ee is an "earth rabbit", a member of this tribe of rabbit people that used to live on the moon. So's Yu-Da, this one guy in her grade school. The two of 'em end up clashing a fair bit, and then one day Yu-Da disappears. Five years later, Myung-Ee goes to a new school, and who should be there but Yu-Da? However, he doesn't remember Myung-Ee. Also, he's being watched by members of the fox tribe, these fox people that like to eat moon rabbits. Um. And they're watching Yu-Da 'cause they need him for a special reason. Myung-Ee decides that she's gonna save him from the foxes.
What I thought: Despite the fact that the plot sounds absolutely ridiculous, the writing for this is really pretty great. It's a manga, by the way. The art is also good, your typical shojo fare. There are some really funny moments in here, though, and if you're into graphic novels n'at, I recommend giving this a shot.
Overall: Surprisingly good.
Author: Lee YoungYou
What it's about: So apparently, Myung-Ee is an "earth rabbit", a member of this tribe of rabbit people that used to live on the moon. So's Yu-Da, this one guy in her grade school. The two of 'em end up clashing a fair bit, and then one day Yu-Da disappears. Five years later, Myung-Ee goes to a new school, and who should be there but Yu-Da? However, he doesn't remember Myung-Ee. Also, he's being watched by members of the fox tribe, these fox people that like to eat moon rabbits. Um. And they're watching Yu-Da 'cause they need him for a special reason. Myung-Ee decides that she's gonna save him from the foxes.
What I thought: Despite the fact that the plot sounds absolutely ridiculous, the writing for this is really pretty great. It's a manga, by the way. The art is also good, your typical shojo fare. There are some really funny moments in here, though, and if you're into graphic novels n'at, I recommend giving this a shot.
Overall: Surprisingly good.
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