Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Jolted: Newton Starker's rules for survivalJolted: Newton Starker's rules for survival by Arthur Slade
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I abandoned this and then picked it up again later - and ended up liking this one better than I expected to. I finished reading it on a day when I really needed something that wasn't quite as heavy as more serious fare. And, thinking about it, the voice of the main character, Newton, was actually pretty spot on middle school.
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Monday, December 19, 2011

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier, read by Sascha Icks

Rubinrot - Liebe geht durch alle ZeitenRubinrot - Liebe geht durch alle Zeiten by Kerstin Gier
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I listened to this book on audio, in what I assume is the original German. I am a native English speaker, but my understanding of German is fairly good. I like the premise of the book and the whole set up is intriguing, but right now, like another reviewer, I am a bit annoyed at my reaction to the book. I got to the end of the 4th CD that the book came on and I couldn't believe it was the end. I had to check to make sure there wasn't perchance another CD that I missed. Nothing is tied up; nothing is solved; nothing is clear - except, I suppose that Gwyn and Gideon will somehow get together (that is a prediction, not a spoiler). Sigh.

I suppose it is a tribute to the book that I now feel as though I really DO have to buy the other two books. Oh, well, it is good practice to keep up my German.
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Saturday, December 17, 2011

The Always War by Margaret Peterson Haddix

The Always WarThe Always War by Margaret Peterson Haddix
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this book and read the whole thing in just under two days, but somehow I feel it is a bit incomplete. I would like to have seen a bit more development of each of the three major characters. The computer in the end reminds me of the computer in Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy books.

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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

A Very Personal Computer by Justine Rendal

A Very Personal ComputerA Very Personal Computer by Justine Rendal
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I agree with another reviewer - this book turned out to be better than I expected. The silly looking cover and the breezy narration starts you off thinking that this will be another shallow klutzy-teen-learns-to-accept-himself book. And, in a way, it actually stays true to that stereotyped genre. But it is enough more that it changes what could have been a trivial book into something more to think about. I rarely give out 5 stars, so this is a good rating for me.
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Sunday, November 27, 2011

The Accidental Genius of Weasel High by Rick Detorie

The Accidental Genius of Weasel HighThe Accidental Genius of Weasel High by Rick Detorie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Cute - true to life - fun. Not a whole lot of depth, but enjoyable enough.

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It's Like Like by Allison Barrows
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book captures the essence of tweens and younger YAs pretty well - the beginning interests in relationships, the awkwardness, the self-centeredness, the self-consciousness. And, the artwork is appealing. Enjoyable.


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Saturday, November 19, 2011

The Save-Keeper's Secret by Sharon Shinn

The Safe-Keeper's Secret (Safe-Keepers, #1)The Safe-Keeper's Secret by Sharon Shinn

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a goodhearted tale with a mixture of fantasy and intrigue. I enjoyed it and read the whole thing, which is something I can't always say about the books I read. The only criticism I have is that some of the characters were too similar to each other, both in name and in behavior and I sometimes wasn't sure which of the roles the characters were playing.

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Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Owly, Volume 1:  The Way Home & The Bittersweet Summer (Owly, #1)Owly, Volume 1: The Way Home & The Bittersweet Summer by Andy Runton

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a very sweet book and will undoubtedly appeal to many middle grade kids. The illustrations are well done and much more expressive than many of the other graphic novels I have read. The story is a bit sweet for me, which perhaps says more about me than it says about the book.

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Monday, November 14, 2011

Elske by Cynthia Voigt

Elske (Kingdom, #4)Elske by Cynthia Voigt

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I didn't realize this was the fourth book in a series, until I came to Goodreads to add it. So, I guess that means that, for the most part, the story stands by itself well enough. There were some references to Jackaroo at the end that rather puzzled me - and now that I know that the first book in the series was called Jackaroo, that makes a bit more sense.

The book drew me in with the character of Elske. Beriel, on the other hand, mostly annoyed me. In some ways, the story reminds me of the books by Tamora Pierce and other historical fantasy books. One of the things that especially intrigues me about books like this is that they are often accompanied by maps of the various lands. For some reason, I really enjoy this.

Maybe, if I ever try to write a story myself, I should start by drawing a map.

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Sunday, November 13, 2011

E-mergency by Tom Lichtenheld

E-mergency!E-mergency! by Tom Lichtenheld

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is great fun. The premise is simple, but the execution is delightful. Visual puns abound; clever illustrations delight; laugh out loud word play elicits chuckles, even from the jaded. This is well worth a look.

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Sunday, November 6, 2011

The Classroom at the End of the Hall by Douglas Evans

Classroom At The End Of The HallClassroom At The End Of The Hall by Douglas Evans

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a book of vignettes about kids in a 3rd grade classroom. The stories are clever and the book would make a decent read-aloud. The endings are a little too perfect, but kids like that.

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Friday, November 4, 2011

Anna Hibiscus by Atinuke

Anna HibiscusAnna Hibiscus by Atinuke

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book has adorable stories and is a great addition to cultural literature. Clearly, a lot of people love it. And I wish I had loved it a little more.

I was uncomfortable with the depiction of Anna's mother. I think the father respected the mother's desire for occasionally being alone, but I felt that the story line depicted that desire as wrong-headed, not as a cultural difference. As a person who needs to spend time by myself, this was enough to unsettle me about the book.

I was also puzzled by Anna's obsession with snow. It seemed to come out of nowhere. I wish it had been tied more to stories that her mother and her Canadian grandmother had told her. As it was presented, I couldn't quite get why she was even interested in it.

The most powerful story for me was the one about selling oranges. That was worth the time spent for the whole book.

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The Other Half of My Heart by Sundee T. Frazier

The Other Half of My HeartThe Other Half of My Heart by Sundee T. Frazier

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book has a good idea, but I found the writing plodding. In an attempt to heighten the surprise of the twins' difference in skin color, the writer strings out the details over way too many paragraphs, so that it becomes tedious, rather than surprising. I found much of the book like that. Good ideas; interesting plot; interesting tension in the situation. But the writing just wasn't exciting. Sorry.

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Sunday, October 16, 2011

Across the Great Barrier by Patricia Wrede

Across the Great Barrier (Frontier Magic, #2)Across the Great Barrier by Patricia C. Wrede

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a rather strange book in many ways. One of the heroine's main interests is animals and two of her jobs involved cataloging plants and animals and taking care of captured animals, both magical and non-magical. All of the action, as it were, takes place in a rather strange alternate reality version of the wild American west. These elements don't seem destined for an interesting book, and yet, I found myself reading the whole thing and eager to keep reading - a marked contrast to most of the other YA books I have been trying to read lately. Perhaps it is because I am interested in both science and science fiction.

Yes, there is a coming of age story, too. But it is much more subtly handled that many of its ilk.

I feel odd saying that I really enjoyed this book, because, to me, the plot is rather meandering and there are quite a few characters that just don't seem that compelling. But the ones that do interest me have a lot that really intrigues me.

Maybe in a few days, I will have a better idea why this book appealed to me so much.

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Saturday, October 15, 2011

The Perry Bible Fellowship Almanack by Nicholas Gurewitch

The Perry Bible Fellowship AlmanackThe Perry Bible Fellowship Almanack by Nicholas Gurewitch

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I wanted to like this one, but the gruesomeness factor got a bit too much for me. I'm glad I didn't buy it - at least I can return it to the library.

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Thursday, October 13, 2011

Sidekicks by Jack D. Ferraiolo WITH SPOILERS

SidekicksSidekicks by Jack D. Ferraiolo

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I don't especially enjoy "whose side are you on" plots, with betrayals of betrayals. It isn't that they aren't realistic, they probably are, but they make me nervous and confused and make me want to distance myself from all of the characters. Why bother liking any of them, when, in a page or two, they turn into the enemy?

I am also not a big action person, so I skipped over a lot of the fighting and blowing up of things.

Those things said, I think teens who DO like action and intrigue will like this book. There is not great depth here, but it is a fun romp.

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Sunday, October 2, 2011

Stupid Fast by Geoff Herbach

Stupid FastStupid Fast by Geoff Herbach

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


OK, I admit, I mostly just skimmed the end of the book. My excuse: it was due at the library and I have so many books waiting to be read that I really didn't feel like renewing it. I think it will have great appeal to high schoolers, especially guys, but there is enough there that it will appeal to girls, too.



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Saturday, October 1, 2011

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Level Up by Gene Luen Yang

Level UpLevel Up by Gene Luen Yang

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I would like to have liked this one more, but the message is so blatant, so didactic that it seems like it is almost like nagging. Important message, not so subtle delivery. American Born Chinese was better. Sorry.



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Tuesday, September 20, 2011

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger

The Strange Case of Origami YodaThe Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This is the kind of book I talk about wanting more of - a true to life story of typical growing up concerns. I am wondering why I wasn't completely taken with it. It is a good story and the situations and voices are likeable and authentic. It is funny enough to make kids want to read it. All in all, it is a book that I would very much recommend to middle school boys, and girls, too. I guess my tepid reaction to it is because I would have liked just a little bit more depth.



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Monday, September 5, 2011

I Am J by Cris Beam

I Am JI Am J by Cris Beam

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Important topic. But I had a hard time getting involved with the story. It seemed very distant - not quite didactic, but almost like a book report.



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Sunday, August 21, 2011

The Love Curse of the Rumbaughs by Jack Gantos

The Love Curse of the RumbaughsThe Love Curse of the Rumbaughs by Jack Gantos

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


This is just not my type of story. It may be excellent, but not for me. For reference: I listened to the first half of the first audiobook CD.



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Monday, August 15, 2011

Me . . . Jane by Patrick McDonnell

Me . . . JaneMe . . . Jane by Patrick McDonnell

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I think this book is well-written and very attractive, but I must admit I was also disappointed. It stopped, without telling anything about what Jane did as an adult. Yes, perhaps kids will be interested enough to try to find out more - or the person who reads the book to the kids will explain more. But I would loved to have a few more pages with pictures of her living and working with the chimps in Africa. Maybe there is an explanation somewhere that tells why the book stopped so soon. Sigh.



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One World, One Day by Barbara Kerley

One World, One DayOne World, One Day by Barbara Kerley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Gorgeous pictures; interesting concept; good potential for further projects for kids; but the most interesting part for me was the section at the end that annotates the pictures.



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Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Why Gender Matters by Leonard Sax

Why Gender Matters: What Parents and Teachers Need to Know about the Emerging Science of Sex DifferencesWhy Gender Matters: What Parents and Teachers Need to Know about the Emerging Science of Sex Differences by Leonard Sax

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is one of those books that, when I am finished reading, I wish I had read more carefully.  While I agree in part with the author's premise - that boys and girls brains and physiology are in fact different and it would behoove us to take note of the consequences of those differences, rather than deny or subvert them - there is a lingering uneasiness that perhaps the author is a bit too biased in his analysis.  Separate was not equal in terms of racial differences; I am worried that separate will not be equal in terms of gender differences (or religious differences, or socio-economic differences, or gender orientation differences, or ...) 

Another thing that worries me is the chapter on teen sex.  I am really alarmed that there isn't more support for girls to just say no to the degrading practice of "hooking up" and other aspects of teen sex that are exploitative of girls' natures.  What are girls getting out of "hooking up" and how do we empower them to fight back against this?

There are several things I would like to see explored in more detail:  what exactly are the differences in teaching boys and girls?  The brief examples he gives are simply not definitive enough for me.  In one of the ending chapters, he very briefly mentions that girls used to be concerned with their character, but nowadays their self-esteem (in coed schools) is largely based on how they look.  Coed schools are so prevalent in the US, and I am convinced that this will not change soon, given the current economic problems and the impending drastic cuts in education, how can we deal with education and socio-emotional issues?

I have ordered his next two books from the library.  Maybe I will find out more from them.




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