A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr. by David A. Adler
Publisher: Holiday House
Release Date: 1989
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr. tells the story of the life of the great civil rights leader in a way that is easy enough for a young child to understand. I liked that it kept the explanations simple. For instance, MLK’s mother tells him that black people were brought over from Africa in chains and sold as slaves. Even though they were set free a long time ago, some people still felt like they should be treated fairly. I think more detail than that might too upsetting for a younger elementary school child. I know when I tried to read Cash a more detailed picture book about MLK when he was in kindergarten, he got really upset and two years later STILL doesn’t want to talk in detail about MLK’s life and the life of black people in the sixties.
This book does end with MLK getting shot in Memphis so you may want to omit that part, depending on how sensitive your child is. There is a time-line of events in MLK’s life on the very last page that is helpful.
The illustrations look like watercolor paintings to me and are very nicely done. I think this is a great first book about Martin Luther King, Jr. for a kindergartener or first grader.
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January 21st, 2013 in
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River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze by Peter Hessler
Publisher: Harper
Release Date: 2001
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Publisher’s Description:
In the heart of China’s Sichuan province, amid the terraced hills of the Yangtze River valley, lies the remote town of Fuling. Like many other small cities in this ever-evolving country, Fuling is heading down a new path of change and growth, which came into remarkably sharp focus when Peter Hessler arrived as a Peace Corps volunteer, marking the first time in more than half a century that the city had an American resident. Hessler taught English and American literature at the local college, but it was his students who taught him about the complex processes of understanding that take place when one is immersed in a radically different society.
I read this book around two months ago but put off reviewing it because I thought my book club was going to discuss it. I like to wait to review it until after the discussion because often the discussion leads me to consider points about the book that I hadn’t thinking about it on my own. However, my book club seems to be on hiatus what with the holidays and all so I’m going to go ahead and review it before I completely forget what I read.
I chose this book for our group because David Sedaris (my new BFF), recommended it when I saw him on tour a couple of years ago. River Town is not meant to be humorous like a Sedaris book, but I still enjoyed it a great deal. Peter Hessler does write it with a light hearted tone. It’s clear that he greatly enjoys being in China and making friends with Chinese people even though he finds their culture and the people baffling or frustrating at times.
Peter went by the name Ho Wei while he was in China and I absolutely loved how he explained the dichotomy between Peter Hessler and Ho Wei:
“Ho Wei was stupid, which was what I liked most about him…People were comfortable with somebody that stupid, and they found it okay to talk with Ho Wei, even though they often had to say things twice or write new words in his notebook. Ho Wei always carried his notebook in his pocket, using it to study the new words, as well as to jot down notes from conversations. And when Ho Wei returned home he left the notebook on the desk of Peter Hessler, who typed everything into his computer.”
There is quite a bit more about Ho Wei vs. Peter Hessler than just the above quote and I thought it was all so clever. I really enjoyed this book. Since reading it, I have learned that Peter Hessler also writes about China for The New Yorker and has written two more books about China. I really enjoyed his perspective and I’m looking forward to reading more from him.
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January 17th, 2013 in
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The movie version of the first book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series was released in 2010. It’s pretty faithful to the book with the exception of the character Angie, who I don’t remember being in the book. She is a seventh grader and serves as a mentor to Greg, who is only in sixth. She’s played by Chloë Grace Moretz who I love in everything she does. She’s such a fabulous actress (Let Me In, Dark Shadows) that it was weird seeing her in a goofy kids movie.
The acting by the other kids in this movie was good and not over the top cheesy like in some of those Disney channel tween shows. There was a fair amount of grossness that boys will love. My six and eight year old boys thought this movie was hilarious and were riveted by it. My attention started to wane for the last half of the movie, probably because having read the book, I already knew what was going to happen. Even though it wasn’t my cup of tea, it was a great way to keep my boys entertained on a snowy afternoon.
January 16th, 2013 in
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
Publisher: Amulet Books
Release Date: April 1, 2007
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Publisher’s Description:
It’s a new school year, and Greg Heffley finds himself thrust into middle school, where undersized weaklings share the hallways with kids who are taller, meaner, and already shaving. The hazards of growing up before you’re ready are uniquely revealed through words and drawings as Greg records them in his diary.
In book one of this debut series, Greg is happy to have Rowley, his sidekick, along for the ride. But when Rowley’s star starts to rise, Greg tries to use his best friend’s newfound popularity to his own advantage, kicking off a chain of events that will test their friendship in hilarious fashion.
Cash has really gotten into this series this school year. I decided to read them too so I could see what all the fuss was about. I’m glad I did because, although Greg is a hilarious character to my son, he’s not exactly a good role model. He’s very self-centered (what middle schooler isn’t?) and not very nice to his friend Rowley. Cash and I have been talking about what Greg does that we like and what we would do differently from Greg. It’s been fun because Cash gets so excited about these books – he loves to talk about them.
Greg’s parents are clueless and out of touch. I think reading about them has made Cash appreciate me! For example, Greg’s mom makes him try out for the school play – Cash wanted to make sure that I would never make him do something like that if he didn’t want to.
This book is a very easy read even for an elementary school kid. There are a lot of cartoons – it only took me about an hour to read and didn’t take Cash much longer. It is funny and sometimes gross but not inappropriate. I think these books would be especially good if you have a boy who is a reluctant reader – the drawings make it extra fun.
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January 15th, 2013 in
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Yesterday afternoon, I attended a book exchange party hosted by a woman from my church. It was such a fun idea for a party! When we arrived, we had hor d’oeuvres and wine and spent a few minutes chatting about books and getting to know each other. Then our hostess passed out a literary quiz she put together. The winner got a gift certificate to Powell’s Books. (I thought it was great that the hostess was supporting an independent bookstore.)
Then it was time for the exchange. All of the books to be exchanged were laid out on the dining room table and we took turns talking about what the books we brought to exchange were about and why we liked them so much. We drew numbers to see who got to pick first. The hostess cut up the New York Times non-fiction bestseller list for the numbers – a creative touch. Everyone got to choose one book, taking turns according to the number we drew. After that it was a free for all to choose your remaining books – you chose as many to take home as you brought to exchange.
Then we adjourned to the living room for cupcakes, coffee and more chatting. It was a really fun party. I learned a lot from the other people about authors and books I hadn’t heard of before and came away with some awesome books!
January 14th, 2013 in
Books |
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Struck By Lightning was stars Chris Colfer as Carson Phillips, a high school boy who lives in a small town and dreams of leaving and going to Northwestern to become a professional writer. After being struck by lightning and killed (not a spoiler, it happens in the first scene), he recalls his life over the past school year and how he got his classmates to contribute to the school literary magazine he started.
Chris Colfer was fantastic in this movie. Carson was absolutely nothing like Kurt, Colfer’s character on Glee which shows that he has real acting chops. I don’t think he’ll be typecast in Kurt-like roles once people see the kind of range he has. Carson was sarcastic, moody and even downright mean at times. He still managed to be likeable because the objects of his indignation were his moronic classmates and his drugged out mother.
Even though this is a low budget, independent movie (shot in only 16 days!) there are actually a lot of well-known, talented actors in it. Allison Janney is fabulous as Carson’s strung out, depressed mom. Durmot Mulrony plays Carson’s clueless, selfish dad Neal and Christina Hendricks is great as his soft spoken and kind fiancé April.
Rebel Wilson plays Carson’s friend Malerie. She is funny but in a more understated way than usual. She should work a little bit more on her American accent I think; I could hear her Australian accent breaking through a few times. She didn’t steal the show like she has in her other movies – this was definitely Chris Colfer’s movie. Chris Colfer also not only wrote the screenplay but also a young adult novel (also called Struck By Lightning) that is an extension of the story in the film. I haven’t read it but it’s definitely on my list to read now.
Struck By Lightning is currently On Demand and is set for limited release in theaters tomorrow, January 11th. I highly recommend that you go see it!
January 10th, 2013 in
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Seriously…I’m Kidding by Ellen DeGeneres
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Paperback Release Date: September 25, 2012
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Seriously…I’m Kidding is Ellen’s newest book. Some chapters are autobiographical but most are Ellen’s trademark random, sometimes absurd humor and observations on life. There were a few laugh out loud moments but it was mostly amusing, not hilarious. I think that it would be a lot funnier I were listening to Ellen herself read this book out loud. Her delivery is half of what makes what she says so funny.
This was a relatively short book and a really fast read because some chapters were just a paragraph or a list of things. I kind of felt like these short chapters were filler; the longer chapters were definitely the funnier ones. Ellen fans (so most everybody – who’s not a fan of Ellen??) will like this book but you might check it out on audio, it’s probably better in that format.
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January 9th, 2013 in
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Yesterday I reviewed Where We Belong by Emily Giffin. Today, I am pleased to be able to offer a copy of the abridged audio book to one of my readers with a United States mailing address. Just fill out the form below before the giveaway closes on January 14, 2013 at 11:59 pm CST. Good luck!
January 8th, 2013 in
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Where We Belong by Emily Giffin
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Release Date: July 24, 2012
My Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Publisher’s Description:
Marian Caldwell is a thirty-six year old television producer, living her dream in New York City. With a fulfilling career and satisfying relationship, she has convinced everyone, including herself, that her life is just as she wants it to be. But one night, Marian answers a knock on the door . . . only to find Kirby Rose, an eighteen-year-old girl with a key to a past that Marian thought she had sealed off forever. From the moment Kirby appears on her doorstep, Marian’s perfectly constructed world—and her very identity—will be shaken to its core, resurrecting ghosts and memories of a passionate young love affair that threaten everything that has come to define her.
For the precocious and determined Kirby, the encounter will spur a process of discovery that ushers her across the threshold of adulthood, forcing her to re-evaluate her family and future in a wise and bittersweet light. As the two women embark on a journey to find the one thing missing in their lives, each will come to recognize that where we belong is often where we least expect to find ourselves—a place that we may have willed ourselves to forget, but that the heart remembers forever.
I really enjoyed reading about Marian and Kirby’s developing relationship. I thought it played out authentically. It was awkward at first and not without a few bumps in the road. As an adoptive mom, I cringed every time one of the characters said that Marian gave her baby away but I realize that not everyone knows that this isn’t considered correct terminology anymore. Most people probably do talk about birth moms giving their babies away in real life so it makes sense that that is what the characters would say. (It’s nicer to say that the baby was “placed for adoption.” It’s supposed to sound less like the adoptee was abandoned by the birth mother.)
As a Mizzou grad, I liked that Kirby’s parents were encouraging her to go to Mizzou. Go Tigers! Missouri doesn’t seem to be a popular setting for books so it was fun to actually recognize the landmarks Kirby talks about in St. Louis where she lives.
This book switches back and forth between Marian and Kirby’s first person perspectives. I think that worked well since it was important to get into both characters’ heads while their relationship was growing. It was a little confusing listening to the audio book because I didn’t feel like the narrator (Orlagh Cassidy) was always consistent with keeping the two voices distinct in the narration. However, I thought the dialogue was always great, with both Marian and Kirby as well as the other characters. I loved Orlagh’s voice for Kirby’s dad. He was quite a jolly character and her voice for him made him even more jolly.
I liked that the book had a somewhat ambiguous ending. Anything else would have been unrealistic and too neat and tidy. And I’m one who usually likes everything wrapped up with a bow at the end. This was a perfect “car book”. If I would have read the paper version, I know I would have blown through it – there were times I wanted to keep driving so I could listen to just a little more. This is the second book by Emily Giffin I’ve read and really liked so I think I can safely say that I’m a fan!
Come back tomorrow – I’ll be giving away an abridged copy of the audiobook to one lucky reader!
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(I received this audio book courtesy of the publisher.)
January 7th, 2013 in
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Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Memoirs of an Imaginary friend is narrated by Budo, imaginary friend to an eight year old boy named Max. Budo has been around for five years, which is a really long time for an imaginary friend, as they disappear once their human person stops believing in them. Max has kept Budo around for so long because he has some kind of high-functioning autism (I don’t believe it’s ever explicitly stated in the book but all the signs are definitely there) and needs some extra help functioning in the world.
I thought the premise to this book was so original. I loved the world of the imaginary friends. They can only do what their human person imagines that they can do and they can only communicate with their human person and other imaginary friends. Since Budo is only five-years old, he has a child-like outlook on the world, although he is more mature and knowledgeable than an average five year old because he watches TV with Max’s parents at night after Max goes to bed. He also sometimes takes walks to the hospital or all-night gas station after bedtime, where he witnesses all kinds of things, good and bad.
When something terrible happens to Max, Budo has to rally the other imaginary friends and figure out how to save him. I was stumped as to how they would manage this without being able to communicate with human people or move things around – it was really suspenseful and I was on the edge of my seat.
I listened to the audio book which was narrated by Matthew Brown. He did a great job. I loved how he made Budo sound innocent but not too childish.
Budo was a great storyteller and I loved his unique outlook on the world. This is an adult book but with the exception of a few expletives (including a couple of F words) it would be good for kids too. I highly recommend Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend.
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(I received this book courtesy of the publisher.)
January 3rd, 2013 in
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