Leftovers by Laura Wiess
Why this book is great: The story makes you think twice, some parts are so disgusting/horrible that you are impelled to read on
This story is about two girls that become friends and help one another deal with their family issues. One of the girls is abused, both sexually and emotionally, and the other girl is grows up in a household where her mother makes her feel unimportant. The girls struggle with trying to understand boys and wanting to be liked by them. However, they are taken advantage of by one boy too many.
This story would be best fit for teenagers and even adults. It takes a more mature audience to read this novel because of the situations the girls are placed in. The characters are only in eighth grade yet they are already testing their sexually and are sexually abused and taken advantage of. It is horrible to think that people can abuse others to such a great extent, but it does happen and it is important to understand how this affects people.
The author makes it clear that we need to be careful with who we let into our lives and help and care for those we love and trust.
The author’s style makes this book interesting. Each chapter alternates from one of the girl’s perspective to the other’s perspective. It is in first person which allowed me to feel like the girls were speaking directly to me. This technique also enabled me to sympathize with the characters and gain a better understanding of how their family life and environment impacted their life and decisions.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
A book by one of my favorite authors
The Unfinished Angel by Sharon Creech
Sharon Creech is one of my favorite children’s book authors. In addition to reading this novel, I have read Walk Two Moons and Love that Dog. Her novels are almost perfectly constructed that I find myself deeply engaged in her stories.
The cover of the book reminds me of peace and harmony. The bird on the front looks like a Dove and it is outlined with the colors of the rainbow. It is not too complex and looks like a student could draw it which caught my attention.
The Unfinished Angel showed the relationship between Angel and Zola and how they connected with one another while working to help the children. This story is very humorous and shows the kindness in the main character’s hearts. It is great to want to help others, but it is another thing to follow through with these aspirations.
I also liked that the chapters were only a few pages long. This kept my focus because stories from one chapter would continue to the next or a new idea would be presented. There is also some uncertainty of what’s going to happen next which provokes you to think ahead.
The fact that Zola helps the Angel learn and Angel helps Zola learn is very important. It shows us that friendship is a give and take relationship, and this is a lesson that children should understand.
Sharon Creech is one of my favorite children’s book authors. In addition to reading this novel, I have read Walk Two Moons and Love that Dog. Her novels are almost perfectly constructed that I find myself deeply engaged in her stories.
The cover of the book reminds me of peace and harmony. The bird on the front looks like a Dove and it is outlined with the colors of the rainbow. It is not too complex and looks like a student could draw it which caught my attention.
The Unfinished Angel showed the relationship between Angel and Zola and how they connected with one another while working to help the children. This story is very humorous and shows the kindness in the main character’s hearts. It is great to want to help others, but it is another thing to follow through with these aspirations.
I also liked that the chapters were only a few pages long. This kept my focus because stories from one chapter would continue to the next or a new idea would be presented. There is also some uncertainty of what’s going to happen next which provokes you to think ahead.
The fact that Zola helps the Angel learn and Angel helps Zola learn is very important. It shows us that friendship is a give and take relationship, and this is a lesson that children should understand.
Historical Fiction--One of the Best
The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick
I really enjoyed reading this novel. The best part of this book is that the author brings the main character, Homer P. Figg to life. I’m glad this novel is written in first person because it allows readers to have the opportunity to get to know Homer better. From the beginning of the book we learn that Homer is telling a true story even though he seems to tell lies all of the time. His lies are clever because they help him get out of sticky situations. They are humorous and caused me to want to continue reading until I finished the story. I hardly put the book down and finished the book within two days.
When I saw the cover of the book, I instantly thought about the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. I do not remember the whole storyline of Huckleberry Finn but I do remember it being clever and interesting. It too involved things from the past such as discussing racial issues.
The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg would be a great book to introduce to children both at home and in school. Many children may not enjoy learning about history in class and this book teaches children about the Civil War and is also entertaining. The author did a good job of choosing titles for each chapter. For example, the titles “ The Secret in the Wagons,” and “The Weasel Comes A-Calling,” are interesting, unusual titles that may cause children to want to discover what lies ahead.
I really enjoyed reading this novel. The best part of this book is that the author brings the main character, Homer P. Figg to life. I’m glad this novel is written in first person because it allows readers to have the opportunity to get to know Homer better. From the beginning of the book we learn that Homer is telling a true story even though he seems to tell lies all of the time. His lies are clever because they help him get out of sticky situations. They are humorous and caused me to want to continue reading until I finished the story. I hardly put the book down and finished the book within two days.
When I saw the cover of the book, I instantly thought about the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. I do not remember the whole storyline of Huckleberry Finn but I do remember it being clever and interesting. It too involved things from the past such as discussing racial issues.
The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg would be a great book to introduce to children both at home and in school. Many children may not enjoy learning about history in class and this book teaches children about the Civil War and is also entertaining. The author did a good job of choosing titles for each chapter. For example, the titles “ The Secret in the Wagons,” and “The Weasel Comes A-Calling,” are interesting, unusual titles that may cause children to want to discover what lies ahead.
A Little disapointing but an interesting look at the Afterlife
The Afterlife by Gary Soto
I was a little disappointed with Gary Soto’s The Afterlife. I thought this book was going to be more interesting than it was by what I read on the back cover. The back cover tells you about the storyline—that Chuy is killed and makes the most of his “life” after death. So reading this I thought the story was going to be creative and intriguing. I did enjoy reading about Chuy’s emotions and how his views changed about those he loved after he died. But, I feel the story could have been better developed. Soto created two other ghosts, like Chuy, which gave him others to interact with since he is unable to talk to people that are alive. Chuy’s relationship with the girl that he fell in love with could have been better developed. Although Chuy and the girl spent time together, they did not really share enough information about each other. That’s probably why it’s called love at first sight and I guess people can say you just know when you love someone, but developing this relationship would make the book stronger.
I liked that this book incorporated Spanish words and at the end of the story there is a glossary which gives definitions for the words used. This is helpful for readers and exposes people to a different language. In addition, the language that Chuy used is what I would call “teenage” language because he uses words that people in high school would use as opposed to adults. This may attract more teenagers to read the novel.
I was a little disappointed with Gary Soto’s The Afterlife. I thought this book was going to be more interesting than it was by what I read on the back cover. The back cover tells you about the storyline—that Chuy is killed and makes the most of his “life” after death. So reading this I thought the story was going to be creative and intriguing. I did enjoy reading about Chuy’s emotions and how his views changed about those he loved after he died. But, I feel the story could have been better developed. Soto created two other ghosts, like Chuy, which gave him others to interact with since he is unable to talk to people that are alive. Chuy’s relationship with the girl that he fell in love with could have been better developed. Although Chuy and the girl spent time together, they did not really share enough information about each other. That’s probably why it’s called love at first sight and I guess people can say you just know when you love someone, but developing this relationship would make the book stronger.
I liked that this book incorporated Spanish words and at the end of the story there is a glossary which gives definitions for the words used. This is helpful for readers and exposes people to a different language. In addition, the language that Chuy used is what I would call “teenage” language because he uses words that people in high school would use as opposed to adults. This may attract more teenagers to read the novel.
A Look at the Holocaust
Hana’s Suitcase by Karine Levine
Hana’s Suitcase is intriguing from cover to cover. I enjoyed reading this story a lot. The author devotes certain chapters to Hana’s story. Other chapters are told from a teacher’s point of view, who is researching Hana’s life so that she can teach Japanese children about the Holocaust. This enables the story to be appealing to children and adults since it is told from different viewpoints.
The Holocaust interests me not only because I am Jewish, but because there are still many things left to discover about the past. In addition, I find World War II both intriguing and disgusting. I cannot bring myself to understand how people can treat others so horribly. This book gives information about how unfairly Jews were treated without being too gory for children to read. I found myself sympathizing with Hana and feeling her emotions with her. For example, when Hana and her brother were told they could not see “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” at the movie theater because they were Jewish, I felt sad for them. Although many worse things happened, the little things add up and it’s just not fair. My biggest pet peeve is being rude to other people, so that is something I just can’t stand.
I recommend this book to both children and adults. I’m sure there’s many people that still do not know a lot about the Holocaust and this book is a good introduction to it. I would also encourage people to take the time to learn more about the Holocaust and World War II.
Hana’s Suitcase is intriguing from cover to cover. I enjoyed reading this story a lot. The author devotes certain chapters to Hana’s story. Other chapters are told from a teacher’s point of view, who is researching Hana’s life so that she can teach Japanese children about the Holocaust. This enables the story to be appealing to children and adults since it is told from different viewpoints.
The Holocaust interests me not only because I am Jewish, but because there are still many things left to discover about the past. In addition, I find World War II both intriguing and disgusting. I cannot bring myself to understand how people can treat others so horribly. This book gives information about how unfairly Jews were treated without being too gory for children to read. I found myself sympathizing with Hana and feeling her emotions with her. For example, when Hana and her brother were told they could not see “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” at the movie theater because they were Jewish, I felt sad for them. Although many worse things happened, the little things add up and it’s just not fair. My biggest pet peeve is being rude to other people, so that is something I just can’t stand.
I recommend this book to both children and adults. I’m sure there’s many people that still do not know a lot about the Holocaust and this book is a good introduction to it. I would also encourage people to take the time to learn more about the Holocaust and World War II.
Oh Poetry!
Bees, snails, and peacock tails by Betsy Franco and Steve Jenkins
From cover to cover of Bees, snails, and peacock this book has creative designs, uses a great deal of color, and has words that are large and small, and some of the text forms shapes. The colorful illustrations in this book really drew me in but I also enjoyed reading the poetry. Most pictures continue across both pages and each picture goes along with the text. For example, one page talks about ants being able to carry food on their back and so the illustration is of ants walking towards a watermelon. This makes the story cleverer. Children will be able to learn the names of animals and objects by matching the words to the pictures. I also liked this story because some of the information is factual such as star fish having five arms and “eyespots” that help them move around. After the story ends, there are two pages dedicated to giving a little bit of information about each animal. Older children could look at these pages to discover more about the creatures.
My only suggestion to this book is to fix the ending. The poem concludes by saying that creatures make patterns and shapes naturally. But, this could be better worded or the ending could be changed.
I Did It Because…How A Poem Happens by Loris Lesynski
“I Did It Because…” How a Poem Happens is full of energy and enthusiasm, and crazy made up words that are simply creative. What’s great about this book is that it is divided into sections on how a poem happens such as poem prep, sounds and wordplay, and inspiration sparks. After each section there are poems that use the ideas from that section. This enables children to learn how they can work towards writing a poem with these strategies. The book teaches children how certain sounds can come together to form rhythms and shows that poems can be written about anything. Any idea can form a poem from describing a pizza to telling others about you.
Each poem is illustrated with a picture that represents the poem. If you glance at these illustrations you will be intrigued to read the wacky, crazy, different, but fun poems in this collection.
The poem that touched me the most is titled “I Look in the Mirror.” The ending of this poem is “Look at me closely with all of your eyes—and all you will see is my perfect disguise.” This means that there is a difference between truly knowing a person and just looking at them from the outside. To find out more about someone else, you need to make an effort to get to know him and understand who he is. Messages like this are important for children to hear.
From cover to cover of Bees, snails, and peacock this book has creative designs, uses a great deal of color, and has words that are large and small, and some of the text forms shapes. The colorful illustrations in this book really drew me in but I also enjoyed reading the poetry. Most pictures continue across both pages and each picture goes along with the text. For example, one page talks about ants being able to carry food on their back and so the illustration is of ants walking towards a watermelon. This makes the story cleverer. Children will be able to learn the names of animals and objects by matching the words to the pictures. I also liked this story because some of the information is factual such as star fish having five arms and “eyespots” that help them move around. After the story ends, there are two pages dedicated to giving a little bit of information about each animal. Older children could look at these pages to discover more about the creatures.
My only suggestion to this book is to fix the ending. The poem concludes by saying that creatures make patterns and shapes naturally. But, this could be better worded or the ending could be changed.
I Did It Because…How A Poem Happens by Loris Lesynski
“I Did It Because…” How a Poem Happens is full of energy and enthusiasm, and crazy made up words that are simply creative. What’s great about this book is that it is divided into sections on how a poem happens such as poem prep, sounds and wordplay, and inspiration sparks. After each section there are poems that use the ideas from that section. This enables children to learn how they can work towards writing a poem with these strategies. The book teaches children how certain sounds can come together to form rhythms and shows that poems can be written about anything. Any idea can form a poem from describing a pizza to telling others about you.
Each poem is illustrated with a picture that represents the poem. If you glance at these illustrations you will be intrigued to read the wacky, crazy, different, but fun poems in this collection.
The poem that touched me the most is titled “I Look in the Mirror.” The ending of this poem is “Look at me closely with all of your eyes—and all you will see is my perfect disguise.” This means that there is a difference between truly knowing a person and just looking at them from the outside. To find out more about someone else, you need to make an effort to get to know him and understand who he is. Messages like this are important for children to hear.
Have You Ever Read a Graphic Novel?
Janes in Love by Cecil Casteullucci and Jim Rugg
Although I haven’t read many graphic novels, Jane in Love was interesting. It appeals more to teenagers, especially girls with high school crushes. This book had a lot of “high school drama” which I always tried to avoid. The author also conveys the idea that with hard work you can accomplish your goals.
I like that this book incorporated meaningful quotes such as “it is not only what we do that we are held responsible, but also for what we do not do.” In addition, each comic box has detailed characters and by the end of the story, it is easy to remember which character is which. However, I believe that the author could have done a better job of developing the characters relationships towards one another. The “thinking” boxes were helpful but it would be great if they had more information on the characters’ thoughts and feelings.
I didn’t realize that so much work went into creating a graphic novel. I had heard of them before but did not know just how popular they are and that it takes a lot of practice to draw the characters the same each time.
I would recommend this novel and other graphic novels especially if you have not read one before.
Although I haven’t read many graphic novels, Jane in Love was interesting. It appeals more to teenagers, especially girls with high school crushes. This book had a lot of “high school drama” which I always tried to avoid. The author also conveys the idea that with hard work you can accomplish your goals.
I like that this book incorporated meaningful quotes such as “it is not only what we do that we are held responsible, but also for what we do not do.” In addition, each comic box has detailed characters and by the end of the story, it is easy to remember which character is which. However, I believe that the author could have done a better job of developing the characters relationships towards one another. The “thinking” boxes were helpful but it would be great if they had more information on the characters’ thoughts and feelings.
I didn’t realize that so much work went into creating a graphic novel. I had heard of them before but did not know just how popular they are and that it takes a lot of practice to draw the characters the same each time.
I would recommend this novel and other graphic novels especially if you have not read one before.
You Better Love That Dog
Love That Dog by Sharon Creech
The simplicity of Love That Dog makes this novel come to life. Sharon Creech enables readers to become Jack in this story by conveying his emotions through first person speech. I read this novel all in one sitting and I would consider it one of the best books I have read. I found myself wanting to turn the pages quicker than I could read because I was intrigued by what would come next. Some people may argue it’s difficult to write poetry, and even the character Jack seems to think so at times. But, this story shows us that poetry can be simple; when you want to tell a story or write a poem, express your thoughts. Poetry can also be created unintentionally as words fall across the page.
Another great thing about this novel is that both adults and children can enjoy it. Many children will be able to relate to Jack and his dog, as well as being in school. Adults may look at this story from a different point of view but will be proud of the things that Jack accomplishes along with his hard work and determination.
The font in this book is somewhat large and blue. Dates are also given on each page to make this book become a journal. These techniques make the story more individualized and the color causes the words to stand out. It gives the book a different feeling than if it was written in black and white. In a sense, this makes it appeal more to children. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a good read.
The simplicity of Love That Dog makes this novel come to life. Sharon Creech enables readers to become Jack in this story by conveying his emotions through first person speech. I read this novel all in one sitting and I would consider it one of the best books I have read. I found myself wanting to turn the pages quicker than I could read because I was intrigued by what would come next. Some people may argue it’s difficult to write poetry, and even the character Jack seems to think so at times. But, this story shows us that poetry can be simple; when you want to tell a story or write a poem, express your thoughts. Poetry can also be created unintentionally as words fall across the page.
Another great thing about this novel is that both adults and children can enjoy it. Many children will be able to relate to Jack and his dog, as well as being in school. Adults may look at this story from a different point of view but will be proud of the things that Jack accomplishes along with his hard work and determination.
The font in this book is somewhat large and blue. Dates are also given on each page to make this book become a journal. These techniques make the story more individualized and the color causes the words to stand out. It gives the book a different feeling than if it was written in black and white. In a sense, this makes it appeal more to children. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a good read.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
A Look at Two Different Types of Non-Fiction Books For Kids
Eleanor Quiet No More: The Life of Eleanor Roosevelt by Doreen Rappaport
Eleanor Quiet No More successfully addresses and describes Eleanor Roosevelt’s life and accomplishments. This story is geared towards children in elementary school but can be read by older children and adults. The author and illustrator worked hard to bring this story to life by researching her life. You can even see how dedicated the illustrator was by looking at the details in his pictures. These paintings convey thoughts and feelings of the characters and represent the past. His pictures work well with the text. Some of the text in this story includes important quotes which are enlarged on the pages. Larger font permits children to focus on these statements and remember those that seem important or carry meaning. There are also borders along the pages with text. In some of the illustrations Eleanor is highlighted in brighter colors especially when she is laughing or when she has reached her aspirations.
Although I had some background knowledge on Eleanor’s life I was unaware of how much she helped people across the world during the war. This book describes Eleanor’s life without being too wordy as some biographies are. For this reason, children may be interested in learning about her life.
Animals at the Edge: Saving The World’s Rarest Creatures by Jonathan Baille and Marilyn Baille
Just by glancing at the cover, I was drawn into reading Animals at the Edge. On the cover of this book, a small animal with large eyes and cute little feet stares right back at you. When you open the pages of this book, you can admire the rare and unique animals that live across the world. This story teaches readers a little bit about many different animals and gives them information on how scientists are working to save them.
I really liked the organization of this book. There are differences between how each page is designed but they all include text within boxes, borders, pictures, and colorful font. There are “Did You Know?” bubbles as well as a “Note” book box. The bubble and the “Note” book box help to engage the reader. There are also rhetorical questions that promote deeper thinking.
Just the right amount of information is given about each animal and children may be inspired to look for additional information elsewhere. The fact that this book introduces you to the scientists instead of just saying “scientists study this animal” makes this book more personal and relatable. It is good for children to put faces to people and understand what a scientist might study.
Eleanor Quiet No More successfully addresses and describes Eleanor Roosevelt’s life and accomplishments. This story is geared towards children in elementary school but can be read by older children and adults. The author and illustrator worked hard to bring this story to life by researching her life. You can even see how dedicated the illustrator was by looking at the details in his pictures. These paintings convey thoughts and feelings of the characters and represent the past. His pictures work well with the text. Some of the text in this story includes important quotes which are enlarged on the pages. Larger font permits children to focus on these statements and remember those that seem important or carry meaning. There are also borders along the pages with text. In some of the illustrations Eleanor is highlighted in brighter colors especially when she is laughing or when she has reached her aspirations.
Although I had some background knowledge on Eleanor’s life I was unaware of how much she helped people across the world during the war. This book describes Eleanor’s life without being too wordy as some biographies are. For this reason, children may be interested in learning about her life.
Animals at the Edge: Saving The World’s Rarest Creatures by Jonathan Baille and Marilyn Baille
Just by glancing at the cover, I was drawn into reading Animals at the Edge. On the cover of this book, a small animal with large eyes and cute little feet stares right back at you. When you open the pages of this book, you can admire the rare and unique animals that live across the world. This story teaches readers a little bit about many different animals and gives them information on how scientists are working to save them.
I really liked the organization of this book. There are differences between how each page is designed but they all include text within boxes, borders, pictures, and colorful font. There are “Did You Know?” bubbles as well as a “Note” book box. The bubble and the “Note” book box help to engage the reader. There are also rhetorical questions that promote deeper thinking.
Just the right amount of information is given about each animal and children may be inspired to look for additional information elsewhere. The fact that this book introduces you to the scientists instead of just saying “scientists study this animal” makes this book more personal and relatable. It is good for children to put faces to people and understand what a scientist might study.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Kevin Henkes' Bird Lake Moon
Bird Lake Moon has an interesting storyline, showing how friendship develops between two boys. This friendship enables one boy an escape from family problems—his parents’ divorce, and the other boy to better understand his parent’s struggle with his deceased brother. This storyline is compelling, but I found myself losing interest during parts of the book. Some words just seemed to drag across the pages. However, towards the end of the book, I wanted to keep reading because the author did a great job of adding connotation to the words. I felt sadness, anger, and frustration for the boys. I was satisfied with the end of the book because it reminded me of how important a best friend can be. I share memories and secrets with my best friend. She is always there for me to talk to and brings up my spirits when I am having a bad day. This is how friendship should be and this story shows how children can easily make friends, especially when they share something in common.
Bird Lake Moon also allows readers to see just how difficult it is to deal with divorce at a young age and the impact of losing a family member. It is not easy to find out that your parents have “suddenly” decided to split up.
I also liked this book because each chapter switched focus between the two characters. But, it was written in third person. This story could be improved if it was in first person because it would allow the reader to step into the “character’s shoes.”
Bird Lake Moon also allows readers to see just how difficult it is to deal with divorce at a young age and the impact of losing a family member. It is not easy to find out that your parents have “suddenly” decided to split up.
I also liked this book because each chapter switched focus between the two characters. But, it was written in third person. This story could be improved if it was in first person because it would allow the reader to step into the “character’s shoes.”
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