February 2008

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May Bird: Among the Stars

1 Comment / 2008, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Favorites, Fiction, Sci Fi and Fantasy, Young Adult /

For some reason I think Karen’s friend Kit Cat did not like the other books in the May Bird series and I’m wondering why. But I don’t have time to surf her blog to find out if I’m imagining that or why she didn’t like them. Maybe I’ll get caught up enough at work later today and figure it out. Or maybe not. Whatever.

I liked Among the Stars (book two) a lot. I’m so glad her mom ummm would that ruin the story if I said what I’m glad her mom did or did not do? Probably, so I won’t say anything. Very glad mom did what she did. Also glad about Beatrice’s mom. I’m just glad about the moms in the story, in general. Also glad about the good characters who aren’t all good and the bad characters who aren’t all bad.

I just like these books. Enough to stay up far too late in order to finish book 2 just a few hours after I started it. heh.

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It’s All Too Much

2008, Books in Bed, Non-Fiction /

As much as I really enjoy watching Clean Sweep on TLC and as much as I appreciated the gift of “keep, sell, trash” signs and tarps given to me by the small children a few years ago, I just did not love Peter Walsh’s It’s All Too Much.

It’s not a bad book, I just think Walsh is better in person than he is in a book. Too many exclamation marks. He said “you don’t know this or you wouldn’t be reading this book” or “you don’t believe this or you wouldn’t be reading this book” or something like that about a zillion times. And really, he’s wrong. And even if/when he isn’t, it just was not necessary to say it over and over and over again in the first five chapters of the book.

I liked it much better when he quit with the psycho-analysis and preachy stuff and moved into the “this is how you de-clutter this space” sections.

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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

2008, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Fiction, Young Adult /

Could the title have been any longer for The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian? I think it’s a little much. I also think the hype for this book is a little much.

It’s a good book. I enjoyed it. But it has gotten a lot of press and a lot of really great reviews from YA critics. I’m very glad the Cybil judges didn’t make it the YA winner, Wednesday Wars was better (though Off Season was not.)

Anyway – it’s about a kid on an Indian reservation who is smart, really smart. A teacher advises him to get off the Rez – now. So he does – by going to the white school in town. This leads to any number of problems, but also a lot of good things. Maybe it gets so many rave reviews because we don’t see a lot of books about teen Indians on reservations? Whatever. It was good but not great. Read it but don’t buy it. And if your kids are assigned the book and don’t fall in love with it, don’t be surprised by that.

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