Children’s Literature

Three Cybils – One Yay! One Nay! One In Between!

2011, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Cybil Challenge, Fiction, Poetry, Young Adult /

I’m digging into the poetry category and back into the YA category from the Cybils shortlist. I’m nonplussed about both categories so far, which is troubling.

First, Split. I didn’t hate it. I didn’t love it. Christian seemed wrong to me but not as wrong as both Miriam and Dakota seemed. The women in Jace’s new life seemed almost too perfect and too good, though the author tried to make sure that we understood neither was like Jace’s mom or like Lauren. Still. I don’t know. Miriam before she got to know about all of Jace’s problems seemed a little over the top, then once she found out the entire story, she seemed to willing to dig her heels in for the long haul. It just seemed – backwards and not as realistic as I’d hoped.  The most troubling thing here – this was the YA winner. Darn. Maybe it’s just me?

Then Ubiquitous – great title for a children’s poetry book. Nice pictures. Good idea. The poetry left me bored while I enjoyed the facts about all of the ubiquitous creatures. For a poetry book, the poetry shouldn’t leave you bored. Kids have a hard enough time getting in to poetry to start with.

Next comes Scarum Fair – loved it. Loved the artwork. Loved the poetry. Loved the idea. Not for kids who scare easily but for kids who like ghoulish make believe – fabulous. Love, love, love.

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

Three Cybils – One Yay! One Nay! One In Between! Read More »

Fever Crumb

2011, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Cybil Challenge, Sci Fi and Fantasy /

This was not my favorite middle grade scifi/fantasy but it wasn’t bad either. I can see why Fever Crumb made it to the Cybils Shortlist but if there’s a sequel. London far in the future is kind of amusing, mostly because of the small twists language has taken. The only real problem with this book  was that I didn’t end up loving Fever Crumb. I liked her well enough but I think I might have liked poor Charley better.

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

Fever Crumb Read More »

Happyface

2011, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Comics & Graphic Novels, Favorites, Fiction, Young Adult /

A couple weeks ago, Elly asked me to reserve a book called Happyface… so I did. She read it and then she bugged me non-stop to finish whatever I was reading so I could read Happyface… so I did.

It’s a combination graphic novel/novel. It’s a bit about bullying. A bit about a dysfunctional family. It’s about alcoholism. Dating. Family relationships. Reinventing yourself only to find you’re still who you were, sort of, before the reinvention – because you haven’t dealt with who you were before the reinvention.

It’s a wee bit sad. It’s also funny in the right places. And thought-provoking in others, particularly if you’re a teenager who’s on the outside looking in. Or maybe on the inside wondering how to get out.  This could be a Cybils shortlister, I think.

I’m impressed that Elly liked this book so much.  Now I have to figure out when I can sit down and discuss it with her. We might have to video chat or something in order to have that conversation before I forget what the book was about. Heh.

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

Happyface Read More »

Two Cybils – One I Loved, One — Not So Much

2011, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Cybil Challenge, Favorites, Fiction, Young Adult /

First, Some Girls Are… Yes, I know. Some Girls Are… a lot of girls are. And some books make reading about some girls a painful, painful experience. It’s not that the book was badly written – it wasn’t. It’s not that it was a bad topic – it wasn’t. It was just a trouble book blown to smithereens by trouble. I kept picturing mean girls reading this book and victims of mean girls reading this book and none of the pictures popping into my head were good ones.

I do not think I can read another Courtney Summers book – so I hope she doesn’t make the Cybils shortlist again. I just… can’t do it. There’s no pay off for me when it’s over.

Now a book that I did love – Ninth Ward. That was a painful book, too. But not painful the way Some Girls Are was painful. It hurt to listen to Lenesha and Mama Yaya all the while knowing what was going to happen to them in the Ninth Ward. That helpless feeling… I remember that feeling. And I loved Lanesha and Mama Yaya and Tashon and even Spot.

When Mama Yaya said “how can it be mandatory when I don’t have a way to go…” yea, that right there… painful.

But the story was beautifully told. The characters wonderfully written. The hope… The universe shines with love….

My goodness I loved this book.

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

Two Cybils – One I Loved, One — Not So Much Read More »

Cybils – 5 Fiction Picture Books

2011, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Cybil Challenge, Daily Dose /

I’m so far behind on my Cybils Challenge that I’m pretty sure I will never catch up. The least I can do is knock the picture books off the list, right? Right!  Five down… a bunch more to go.  And these five were all pretty darn good. I don’t have any big complaints with any of them (which is rare – since I’m often less than impressed with a couple…)

Interrupting Chicken made me laugh. Then again, I’m all about the chickens right now. (I just don’t want to own them.)

Chalk also made me laugh and I was surprised. On the first page… I thought I was really going to dislike this book. But I didn’t. I do wonder why it had to be the boy who drew the dinosaur while the girls drew suns and butterflies…

A Beach Tail was cute, too. I was confused by the spelling of “Tail”… until I saw that the tail was connected to a lion which stayed connected to Greg the whole time… lol

Flora’s Very Windy Day – brothers are a-noyyyy-ingggggg and I can’t blame Flora for being a wee bit tempted to let the wind carry her brother off.

The Cow Loves Cookies was a rhyming farm story, like most of those you’ve seen before. Each page adds an animal which adds to the rhyme and it’s all about what farm animals like to eat. The cow, obviously, loves cookies. And I’m pretty sure you know why.

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

Cybils – 5 Fiction Picture Books Read More »

The Dead Boys

2011, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Cybil Challenge, Favorites, Young Adult /

Oops. I had it in my head that The Dead Boys was a Cybils Shortlist middle grade graphic novel. Imagine my surprise when I picked it up last night and discovered it wasn’t. Hah. It’s definitely a Cybils short list middle grade fiction but it’s so not a graphic novel, (though it would make a truly excellent one if the right someone drew it.)

This was one hell of a creepy story and I think a whole lot of kids will love it – I’m really surprised at the ending. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a book like this, end this way…

**spoiler – do not read this part if you think you might read the book!!!**

Every 10 years, one 12 year old boy disappears. The bodies are never found… flash forward and a new 12 year old boy moves into town and something wants him to disappear now.

But he figures out what’s happening and finds those missing boys. They’re still 12 year old boys… and in the end, the boys are brought back… as 12 year olds.

I want to know how that goes over with their families… that’s just weird, and creepy!

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

The Dead Boys Read More »

Three Graphic Novels – One Great, Two Not Horrible

2011, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Comics & Graphic Novels, Cybil Challenge, Favorites, Young Adult /

From the Cybils short list middle grade graphic novels list, Guinea Pig Pet Shop Private Eye: Hamster and Cheese was my least favorite. It was cute but I was annoyed by the pet store owner who knows nothing about animals. I don’t believe that was really necessary. I did, however, really like the part at the end with interesting information about animals. That was the best part of the book.

Athena: Grey-Eyed Goddess was what you’d expect. The Fates spin us stories about Athena. I didn’t love the drawings but I didn’t hate them either. The stories were fine. Nothing to write home about, really.

My favorite of these will not surprise you. Mercury, written by the author of Chiggers. This one is better than Chiggers and as all good graphic novels should, it left me anxious to find out what happens next! (Which is good because at the beginning, I wasn’t sure I liked the jumping between times. It was jarring until I got comfortable with the characters.

I can’t wait til Elly gets home so she can read these three and tell me what she thinks.

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

Three Graphic Novels – One Great, Two Not Horrible Read More »

The Last of the Easy Readers – Surprising!

2011, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Cybil Challenge, Favorites /

I’ve finished all of the books from the Easy Readers category of the Cybils Shortlist, yippee! And that deserves an  extra yippee because besides the somewhat boring but nicely illustrated Cork & Fizz: The Babysitters, I actually enjoyed this year’s Down Girl and Sit: Home on the Range. It had prairie dogs! I laughed all of the way through it.

This was a good year for the easy readers. I actually loved a Down Girl and Sit and an Elephant and Piggie book. (That doesn’t mean I want to see either in next year’s list. Let’s not press our luck, ok?)

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

The Last of the Easy Readers – Surprising! Read More »

Four Nancy Drews

2011, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Fiction, Nancy Drew Challenge /

We spent all day Saturday laying in bed with books. My book(s) of choice were Nancy Drews because they’re the perfect books to read when you’re exhausted. Of The Spider Sapphire, The Invisible Intruder, The Mysterious Mannequin and The Crooked Banister – I liked The Crooked Banister and the Invisible Intruder the best. Lots of robot-y mechanical mysterious making it feel almost steampunk. (Someone should write steampunked Nancy Drews… Cherie Priest maybe?)

The Spider Sapphire was tough to read – Nancy and pals go to Africa… and The Mysterious Mannequin wasn’t a whole lot better because they went off to Turkey. The descriptions of those who are non-white can be tough to read and in these two, there were a lot of them.

I’m running out of Nancy Drews so it’s almost time to start tracking down the Yellow Covers that are missing from my collection. This is going to cost me a lot of money, isn’t it?

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

Four Nancy Drews Read More »

Yummy

2011, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Comics & Graphic Novels, Cybil Challenge, Favorites, Young Adult /

I almost forgot I’d checked Yummy out from the library – that’s what happens when I hand a book to Elly before I’ve had a chance to read it… another Cybils shortlist graphic novel and this one is excellent. So sad – Robert Sandifer, sad sad sad.  Using a well drawn (and written) graphic novel to tell the story is such a great idea. Love. All kids (and adults) should read it.

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

Yummy Read More »