Review: The Westing Game

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



I must be one of only very few who were not enamored with The Westing Game. I felt it was mean-spirited in places and tedious in others. The kids I have talked to really like it, though, so I don't tell them how I feel about it.



View all my reviews

Review: Seraphina

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I wasn't sure after the first couple of audio discs whether or not I was interested enough to listen to all of them, but I hung on and gradually became more interested in Seraphina and her world. I am glad I stuck with it, as it is lingering with me for a while afterwards. I wasn't especially thrilled with the ending, but I can live with that.

One of the drawbacks of listening to this, rather than reading the book is that I am a very visual person, when it comes to names. I have a very hard time remembering names, unless I see them in print. I am not sure why this is so, but I have found this to be true in my work as a substitute teacher, too. In the case of this book, it meant that I had a little bit of trouble remembering which of the supporting characters was which. I may have missed some of the development and resolution of the mystery because of that. Nevertheless, I did end up enjoying the book and am intrigued by this fantasy world.



View all my reviews

Review: Maggot Moon

Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Chilling and sad, but well done.



View all my reviews

Review: No Sailing Waits and Other Ferry Tales: 30 Years of BC Ferries Cartoons

No Sailing Waits and Other Ferry Tales: 30 Years of BC Ferries Cartoons by Adrian Raeside

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I enjoy exposure to places other than where I live and I enjoyed this collection of cartoons about the ferry system in British Columbia. These cartoons are mid-way between being political cartoons and single panel general cartoons. A few are multiple panel cartoons. Enjoyable and enlightening. I would love to take these ferries - but not regularly. LOL.

BTW, if any of my non-US friends know of cartoons that are specific to their part of the world, I would love recommendations. I already have Ginger Meggs for Australia, FootRot for New Zealand, and Madam and Eve for South Africa. I have a few random others as well, but would SERIOUSLY be interested in more recommendations.



View all my reviews

Review: No Sailing Waits and Other Ferry Tales: 30 Years of BC Ferries Cartoons

No Sailing Waits and Other Ferry Tales: 30 Years of BC Ferries Cartoons by Adrian Raeside

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I enjoy exposure to places other than where I live and I enjoyed this collection of cartoons about the ferry system in British Columbia. These cartoons are mid-way between being political cartoons and single panel general cartoons. A few are multiple panel cartoons. Enjoyable and enlightening. I would love to take these ferries - but not regularly. LOL.



View all my reviews

Review: Dangerous Dan

Dangerous Dan by Jef Mallett

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I love Jef Mallett's Frazz books, with their gentle and astute observations of kids and schools - and some of the adults that live there as well. This book is a sort of prequel to those books - in the same vein, but more centered on one kid. Many of the ideas in the book seem to be directly parallel to adventures you might expect of Calvin and Hobbes, only without Hobbes. It is almost as if Mallett were exploring the possibility of doing something similar to Watterson's work and then hit upon his janitor in the school angle.

I started to write, "I would love it if Mallett did a similar book for Caulfield." But then I decided to check to see if he did - and evidently he has. It is only available on Kindle, though, and it isn't new material, just a compilation of all of the Caulfield-related cartoons. Still, I did buy it. Now if I could just get it to download. 5 or 6 tries and still it isn't working. Sigh.



View all my reviews

Review: Hokey Pokey

Hokey Pokey by Jerry Spinelli

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Extended allegory/metaphor really isn't my style of book, but Spinelli is masterful with this one. I had a bike like that once. I am not really sure there is anything more to say.



View all my reviews

Review: A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel

A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel by Hope Larson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I must preface my comments with the admission that I really don't particularly LIKE graphic novels. I have been trying to like them, but so far, rather unsuccessfully. To me, the development of the character and the story is the most enjoyable part of reading and I find the development of character to be very difficult in graphic novels.

This book was no exception to my general discomfort with graphic novels. There are far too many scenes with the main characters either staring with wide eyes at each other or something weird or floating strangely through black space. At least this one wasn't largely arranged around fighting.

That said, this graphic novel is based on a book that has become a classic and it does retain a lot of the appeal of the original story. That makes it a cut above most of the graphic novels I have tried. And, it will probably make the story more appealing to kids who DO like graphic novels.



View all my reviews

Review: One Came Home

One Came Home by Amy Timberlake

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



This book didn't quite make it for me. First of all, I am not sure what age group the book is for. The things that are of major concern in the book seem more like interests of teens, but the main character is what I would consider to be a tween.

Secondly, the narrative seems to be uneven - at times venturing into grown up things; then abruptly switching to more childish things. I suppose that is the nature of this age group, but it didn't feel natural to me. In fact, some of the plot twists seem contrived, where others seemed obvious.

I found the flip-flop of Georgie's attitude toward hunting at the very end of the book unconvincing. And, I am not sure what message it sends. She is an expert shooter and lauded for her marksmanship and then she completely gives it up? I didn't see enough inner struggle to explain why she had the sudden shift. The cougar? Shooting off the counterfeiter's thumb?

The book is enjoyable enough that I actually read the whole thing in a day, but I am not sure I could sell it to kids.



View all my reviews

Review: Middle School: My Brother Is a Big, Fat Liar

Middle School: My Brother Is a Big, Fat Liar by James Patterson

My rating: 1 of 5 stars



I kept hoping that this book would get better as it went along, but I guess I just don't get into this kind of book. The adoption angle fell especially flat to me, but the descriptions of the teachers and other people were also bordering on being offensive. If you are interested in the mean girl angle, Lisa Papademetriou's other book, Accidentally Fabulous, is much better. At least it gives a more realistic picture of the girls involved.



View all my reviews

Review: Mother Anderson's Secret Book of Wit & Wisdom

Mother Anderson's Secret Book of Wit & Wisdom by Stephen Francis

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I enjoy the insight that humor from cultures than my own gives me into different ways of living. South Africa is in many ways not so different from typical Westernized cultures, but, in some ways it is quite different. Racially related interactions are different. This is actually my second Francis book - I haven't quite finished the first one. I am grateful that the type on this one is a bit larger and easier to read. I am, ahem, getting to the age where that can be a problem. Sigh.



View all my reviews