Children’s Literature

Chomp

I like Carl Hiaasen but I don’t love Carl Hiaasen so I figured I’d enjoy Chomp but I didn’t know I’d really, really, REALLY enjoy Chomp.

The only problem with it (well besides the neverending supply of beer the “bad guy” seemed to have and his inebriation level, but it’s middle grade fiction — that’s to be expected) was that we listened to it on audio and… Dawson, yes that Dawson, was the reader.

I kept expecting Joey and Pacey to show up… that was a little weird.

Great Cybils selection. Great book for those of you who aren’t sure you like audio books.

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The Lions of Little Rock

Here’s the problem with me and books in the Cybils Challenge — I reserve them at the library without knowing what they’re about.

The Lions of Little Rock was one of those books.

Little Rock in the 50s, so no, I wasn’t really surprised when Liz showed up at school and I knew immediately that Liz was trying to pass and this was not going to end well for anyone.

It was at that moment that I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to like the book. In those early pages I had to keep reminding myself that this is a middle grade fiction book. This is a middle grade fiction book. And before long, I wasn’t having to remind myself of that. I could just enjoy the story. And, I really did enjoy it.

I do have one question — after Judy flew from Pine Bluff to Little Rock on New Year’s Eve, how did she get back to Pine Bluff? (It’s little things like this that stick with me and bother me.)

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Airing Another Dirty Little Secret

Yesterday I confessed to hating Little Golden Books. (I know. I know.) Today, I have a bigger confession. This one makes me really nervous.

Until last year, I hated The Monster at the End of This Book.

I know. I KNOW.

Here’s the problem… while I loved (and still love) Sesame Street, I did not love Little Golden Books. I did not own many Little Golden Books. I did not buy many Little Golden Books for my kids.

The Monster at the End of This Book was published in 1971, (I was 8 and my brother was 4), as a Little Golden Book.

Pshaw.

For most of my life I’ve heard adults rave about how awesome The Monster At the End of This Book is. I’ve seen people I otherwise loved and respected put The Monster at the End of This Book on their favorite books of all times list.

I’ve always rolled my eyes at those people.

ALWAYS.

And then, Starbucks was doing that free song or app of the week thing, (They still do it, but this was back when it was still new and I was excited by those little cards every Tuesday), and The Monster At the End of This Book app was the free app. I shrugged and said what the hell. It’s free. I’ll look at it. I’ll delete it.

Except I did not delete it. I held on to it because the app is cute. And.

Gasp.

The book is cute.

When JMP was born I was very excited because I could play with the app with him some day… and we did that when he was here in January. It was a little dissatisfying for both of us, he was a little young — he’d be better at it now. The app is still on my phone. It’s on my iPad, too. We’ll play with it again someday.

And, I really like The Monster At The End of This Book.

I particularly like that I can buy it in formats other than Little Golden…

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I Am Number Four

It’s times like this that I wonder what the heck happened… I read a lot of middle grade and YA fiction so why didn’t I manage to read I Am Number Four the year it was published? Why did I wait so long… until I needed a book I’ve never read for a movie I’ve never watched challenge?

Sheesh.

Just goes to show you how little time we really have. Not enough to read everything we want to read or watch everything we want to watch.

Sigh.

So, about the book — it was pretty good in a 2010 middle grade fantasy sort of way. But, I’m wondering if this might be the time when I say the movie was actually better than the book? I don’t know but I’m guessing I might…

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Wonder

I will admit that I was prepared to be not-so-impressed with Wonder. Books that have glowing reviews cause me to put my hackles up and be overly critical.

But, it was tough to maintain that detached, critical air. Wonder was just too nice. Nice story. Nice characters. Nice family. Nice. Nice. Nice. Just typing that makes me want to NOT like Wonder but I just can’t do it.

Maybe because we listened to it on audio, and finished it up during our happy vacation to Door County — everything was awesome, including the happily ever after ending of Wonder.

Hell. Just go read it.

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Two Graphic Novels

I decided to go with easy reads after struggling through Mrs. L’s Dressmaker. Too much going on at work and at home for me to sit down with anything serious. Plus, my vacation is about to start. Yay for vacation! And yay for graphic novels, even if I only loved one of them.

First, the one I didn’t love. Ichiro. Not my thing, though it should be since it was really just Japanese mythology. I just didn’t like the story. I didn’t like the portrayal of Ichi’s American grandfather. Yea, there are people like that but… no. It just set the whole thing off badly for me and the rest of the book never quite redeemed itself for me. I didn’t hate it, but I definitely did not love it.

I did, however, LOVE Giants Beware. I loved Collete. Loved Gaston and Marie and Valiant, too. Loved all of the townspeople and all of the things that happened outside of the wall. Loved, loved, loved the story. And the art.

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The Secret of the Fortune Wookie

Hard to believe but I think The Secret of the Fortune Wookie ended up being my favorite in the series, so far.  I wasn’t sure that was going to be the case since Dwight wasn’t in much of the book – but nope, I loved it. I really did. I am appalled by the “Fundamental” program starting at their school in the next quarter but confident that THE FORCE will be with them. 

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

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The Clockwork Three

I reserved The Clockwork Three, on audio, last year – after we finished listening to the author’s book, Icefall. Two completely different books, both very good – I really enjoyed every single character in The Clockwork Three. The kids, the adults (even the bad adults) – fabulously done. (I’m sorry he doesn’t have another book for me to reserve because I’m pretty darn sure we’d enjoy it, whatever it was about.)

(The epilogue and the reading of the news stories, from the late 1800s, that inspired him to write this book was interesting, too.)

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The Last Dragonslayer

Jasper Fforde! For Kids! The Last Dragonslayer is listed on the Cybils (and at the library) as YA but it seemed a little young to me. Not that older teens won’t like it, I think some would – but I can think of a lot more 10 year olds who would really get into it than I can 17 year olds.

Jennifer Strange is a great character. Tiger Prawns is also excellent. I loved the Quarkbeast (and it looks like the next book is Quarkbeast related, so yay!). I’d like to get to know more of the magician people in future books.

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