Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Review: The Journey of the Noble Gnarble


The Journey of the Noble Gnarble
The Journey of the Noble Gnarble by Daniel Errico

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



(Free e-book found here: http://www.magickeys.com/books/noblegnarble/index.html )

This is the tale of the noblest Gnarble of them all-- unlike his fellow gnarbles, who are content to stay on the ocean floor, this fellow decides that he has to see the sun before he dies. In spite of his nay-saying friends and neighbors, who say that he just isn't built for such an adventure, he sets off. He meets a host of other creatures on his journey to see the sun, most of them with ridiculous names, and most of them eager to eat this gnarble who is so far from home. The meter and ludicrousness of the names of all the creatures brings Lewis Carroll to mind, and the poem is very fun to read out loud. The paintings that accompany the text are brightly colored and imaginative, full of made-up animals (with their silly names), making this a good book to share when people are in a silly mood. Recommended for grades K-2.



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Review: Life As a Knight: An Interactive History Adventure


Life As a Knight: An Interactive History Adventure
Life As a Knight: An Interactive History Adventure by Rachael Hanel

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Have you ever wondered what it might be like to be a knight? This book allows you to choose your own path through many different possibilities as various kinds of knights. You can be a French knight in 1096, an English knight in 1346, or a German knight in 1525. From that initial decision, you are given more choices to make, each with consequences that might not be exactly what you think. Scattered throughout the text are pictures in varying styles with captions containing facts about the knighthood or the time period. Each path you choose is relatively short, but there is always the option to go back and try the other fork in the road, making this an entertaining and educational diversion for those interested in the knighthood or battles in various European countries. At the end of the book is a final section on the state of knighthood today: now an honorary and symbolic gesture, not at all the same as it used to be. This is followed by a brief timeline of European wars, and questions to aid in thinking about knighthood in its various forms, such as Joan of Arc being a female knight, samurai being a different type of knight, and knights of legend, such as the Knights of the Round Table. Finally, there are print and internet resources for learning more, a glossary, a bibliography, and an index. Recommended for grades 3-6.



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Review: Serenity: Those Left Behind


Serenity: Those Left Behind
Serenity: Those Left Behind by Joss Whedon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



If you are a fan of Joss Whedon's TV series Firefly and its cinematic follow-up Serenity, then this is a comic that is right for you. Chronologically, it takes place after the series and before the movie. Unfortunately, it does seem that prior knowledge of the universe and the characters is necessary for full understanding of this book, but it would still be an enjoyable read even without that knowledge. Captain Mal and his crew are, as always, running low on cash in their spaceship that needs fuel and repairs, and willing to go against the law to get what they need. The comic opens with Mal and several crew-mates facing up against another group of bandits after the same stash of loot. Showing himself to have honor, Mal agrees to let the others take the prize, until they press their luck too far by demanding his gun, too-- the gun that got him through the war. The two groups clash, and their opponents end up getting away with the money, but not Mal's gun. Our heroes make their escape from the enraged townsfolk empty-handed, and so can't afford to pass up the next opportunity that comes along to make some cash. Unfortunately, that makes them fall into the trap set for them by a former adversary of Mal's, who has teamed up with the corrupt government agents who have been trying to get their hands on two of Mal's passengers: Simon and River Tam, siblings on the run ever since Simon rescued River from a life of government testing. Always gifted, River is now a bit unhinged, with psychic abilities that no one really understands, as well as deadly martial arts skills. The art style portrays the characters faithfully and recognizably as they appear on-screen, though with a comic book twist: slightly more muscles on the men, slightly slenderer waists on the women, and similar subtle distortions. As in the show, foul language is replaced by Chinese, and there is a decidedly Western, cowboy feel to the colonized planets they visit-- the townsfolk chase them on horses and on futuristic hovering machines. Recommended for Firefly or Joss Whedon fans grades 8 and up.



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Review: Vampire Academy


Vampire Academy
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



With subtle anime and manga influence on the art style, Vampire Academy is an intriguing beginning to the graphic novel version of the popular book series of the same name. Rose and Lissa, fiercely loyal best friends with a psychic bond, have run away from the Academy, and are taken back in the book's opening. Princess Lissa is a kind of vampire called Moroi. Moroi are living beings, born vampires, who can practice magic. Rose, on the other hand, is a dhampir-- half Moroi, half human. Dhampir are guardians of the Moroi, who are the prey of choice of the vicious and feared Strigoi, immortal and undead creatures who gain much power from drinking Moroi blood. Once the two are back in the Academy to resume their training, they are dropped into the scheming and back-stabbing rumor-mill that is the student body, and quickly the virginal Rose is (falsely) accused of both sleeping with several classmates and also letting them drink her blood-- being a "blood-whore." While they were away from the Academy, Rose did let Lissa feed on her blood, an act that they both wish to remain secret, but that of course is leaked soon after their return. There are definite Sapphic overtones to the close friendship and the sharing of blood, but both characters have male love interests. There are flashbacks and incomplete information in this book that might make the reader feel as though he or she is missing something, but the graphic novel does stand alone from the text-only version, and instills a hope that much will be explained in the sequels. The characters are drawn and colored in a way that makes it easy to distinguish them from one another, and their facial expressions, from angry to playful to frightened, are also easily read without being over-exaggerated. Recommended for grades 8 and up.



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Monday, December 19, 2011

Review: Marie Curie


Marie Curie
Marie Curie by Nick Healy

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



One of the most famous woman scientists of all time, Marie Curie was scholastically gifted from a very young age. Enduring hardships her entire life (growing up in poverty in Russia-controlled Poland, having family members die of illness), she nonetheless never gave up on her passions and dreams of contributing to the community of scientific knowledge. She and her husband Pierre (who she met after moving from her native Poland to France) made an unstoppable scientific team, making huge strides in understanding the atom, coining the term 'radioactive,' and winning the Nobel Prize in 1903. After her husband is tragically killed by a horse and carriage, Marie takes over his teaching position and continues her research on radium. She won a second Nobel Prize in 1911, this one for chemistry, but also lost an election to the French Academy of Sciences by two votes, because many people railed against a woman being a part of such a prestigious organization. Marie didn't let that discourage her from continuing her research. Unfortunately, it is this passion for her work, for scientific knowledge, and for her newly discovered radiation that is her undoing. All the exposure to radiation that she endures gives her leukemia, which she succumbs to at the age of 66. Her story is an inspiring one of overcoming adversity and public opinion. The book has large pages, and every other page is a photograph, which makes for a visually appealing book. Each page also has a quote about Marie Curie, usually from people who knew her, including Albert Einstein. Along the bottoms of the pages are important events in her life in a timeline, and the last part of the book contains excerpts from a reluctantly-written autobiography that she was encouraged to include in her biography of her late husband. It is fascinating to get a chance to read about her experiences as seen through her own eyes. There are also some end notes that define terms that may be unfamiliar to the reader, and an index. Recommended for grades 3-5.



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Review: Slick


Slick
Slick by Sara Cassidy

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Liza is a teenaged student who loves the environment and DIY projects, and whose parents recently got divorced. She and her two younger brothers still live with their mom, and their dad moved abroad and doesn't factor into the story very much. Liza's mom, an Eco-conscious and opinionated antique enthusiast, has started dating a man that Liza hates. She calls him Slick, because she thinks he's greasy and because he works for an oil company. When Liza's teacher shows her class a film on how oil companies are impacting life in Guatemala, Liza realizes that the company featured in the video is the very company that Slick works for, and she can't believe that her mother is compromising her ideals for a man. She decides to start a group of her classmates and friends to raise awareness of what the company is doing in Guatemala and how that could affect the planet, which affects everyone. The group is called Girls for Renewable Resources, Really!-- GRRR! Some of her male classmates make a sibling group for boys, named BRRR! They successfully raise awareness and make changes with their actions, and it is truly an inspiring tale for people who want to have an impact for a cause they care about. Liza even manages to earn Slick's grudging respect, though she is railing against his company, and toward the end of the book, she doesn't seem to hate him as much as she used to, either. Some sections of the story are told through e-mails sent among the characters, which makes for a pleasant change in pace. Recommended for grades 5-7.



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Review: Pharaoh: Life and Afterlife of a God

Pharaoh: Life and Afterlife of a God
Pharaoh: Life and Afterlife of a God by David Kennett

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Focusing on the time during the reigns of Seti I and Ramesses II, this book specifically begins when Seti I passes away in 1290 BC and Ramesses II is set to rule in his place. The book opens with describing the embalming ritual as it pertains to Seti I's physical body, and walks the reader through what the ancient Egyptians believed happened to his soul after his passing step by step, and how the people honor and mourn his death. Many other aspects of the ancient Egyptian culture are also discussed, from the lives of their clergy to their builders to their farmers. In particular, the tombs of the Pharaohs are seen as particularly noteworthy. Their trades, imports and exports, and military are also delved into in a broad sense to give a wonderful overview of the area. Each page has many beautiful acrylic paintings, realistic and eye-catching. Some are reproductions of ancient Egyptian artifacts and hieroglyphics, and many show people at work in the fields or on famous tombs and other buildings. At the end of the book there is a glossary of terms that might be unfamiliar to the reader, and an index. As an overview of ancient Egyptian culture, this is highly recommended for grades 3-6, and is worth picking up for the art alone for those people who might be older and already familiar with ancient Egyptian culture.



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Review: Dona Flor: A Tall Tale About a Giant Woman with a Great Big Heart


Dona Flor: A Tall Tale About a Giant Woman with a Great Big Heart
Dona Flor: A Tall Tale About a Giant Woman with a Great Big Heart by Pat Mora

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Dona Flor is a folk tale about a giant woman who grew to an enormous size because her mother sang to her. She is a Paul Bunyan-esque friendly giant, always helping out her village in ways that only a giant can-- she makes gigantic tortillas that people use as roofs, pokes a thumb into the ground to make a river spring up, and hugs a vicious wind all night to calm him down. Her enormous size is exaggerated in the text, like when she was startled and jumped up, only to hit the sun with her head and give it a black eye. Dona Flor's village starts to be terrorized by a wildcat yowling all night-- the puma sounds huge because it is very loud, but Dona Flor can't find it. Can her animal friends help her find it? There are Spanish words and phrases scattered throughout the text. The illustrations, which take up full pages, are wonderfully executed with soft lines and texture. The palate is warm and consists mostly of golden browns, blues, and greens. Recommended for grades 1-3.



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Review: Raccoon Tune


Raccoon Tune
Raccoon Tune by Nancy E. Shaw

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a raccoon, foraging in neighborhoods for food once all the people have gone to bed? This rhyming poem, narrated by the raccoons and split up into its separate stanzas, explores with a family of raccoons on their nightly expedition. They find a trash can that's hard to open, and when they finally do manage to pry the lid off as a team, it starts rolling away from them, down a hill. They chase after it, dreaming of all the treats it must contain, and feast when they catch up to it where it eventually stopped in a creek full of frogs. The poem is accompanied by rich color illustrations, done in oil paints that make the family of raccoons look very soft and fluffy. Their faces are very expressive, showing their effort as they try to pry the garbage can lid off, shocked as the can rolls down the hill, and supremely happy as they gorge on the food within the can. Since the story takes place at night, the palate is dark and dreamlike, with many blues. Recommended for grades K-2, especially for reading aloud.



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Review: The Book of Mean People


The Book of Mean People
The Book of Mean People by Toni Morrison

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



What constitutes a mean person? To the little bunny in this book, a mean person could be anyone-- his mom trying to make him eat peas, his teacher saying his letters are not on the lines, or his grandparents telling him to sit down and sit up at the same time. Mean people shout, but some of the meanest people whisper. The book goes on to mention that screaming people disappear when they yell, and shows an angry, yelling bunny being propelled off the page by the force of his shout, an angry word balloon that fills up most of the page. Though it goes through many of the ways people can be mean, the book does end on a high note: Triumphant yellow letters proclaiming "I WILL SMILE ANYWAY!" The next page shows text saying "How about that!" and the bunny hopping into a bunch of flowers, holding a copy of "The Book of Mean People." There is a lot of white space on the pages, and the lines of the illustrations are not straight. The action shown is often exaggerated, showing the bunnies flying around. The color palate is usually somewhat muted and washed out. Recommended for grades K-2.



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Review: More Stories to Solve: Fifteen Folktales from Around the World


More Stories to Solve: Fifteen Folktales from Around the World
More Stories to Solve: Fifteen Folktales from Around the World by George Shannon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Do you like outsmarting your opponents? This is a collection of short stories and riddles from around the world that display the cleverness of the characters within. Each short story or riddle ends on a page with a question, asking the reader to try to guess how the hero outsmarted everyone and attained victory. The solution is on the following page, so the reader can take as much time as he or she needs to try to work through the problem, or just immediately read the solution if he or she can't take the suspense. Each short story is accompanied by several black and white illustrations surrounding the text and decorating the borders of the pages. The stories are from all around the world and various time periods. At the end of the book are notes, giving some history for each folk tale and its origin. There are stories from Mexico, Burma, the Philippines, and Ethiopia, to name a few. Recommended for grades 2-4.



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Friday, December 16, 2011

Review: There's an Alligator under My Bed


There's an Alligator under My Bed
There's an Alligator under My Bed by Mercer Mayer

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



You can see the author/illustrator reading his book, with pans of the illustrations, here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNE8p0E4NVU

This is a twist on the monster-under-the-bed scenario-- a young boy is convinced that there is an alligator living under his bed, but when his parents look, the alligator hides somewhere so they don't believe him. He comes up with a plan to lure the alligator out from under his bed: he places a trail of various kinds of food from his room down to the garage, and when the alligator follows the trail to its end, he closes the door and locks it in the garage, then leaves notes taped to the door to warn his father that the alligator is in there now. But really, this book raises more questions than it answers. Was there actually an alligator? If so, where did it hide? Why did it want to eat candy, pop, and fresh fruit and vegetables? If there wasn't an alligator, where did all the food on the floor go?
The illustrations, in a pretty basic color scheme (not too bright, not too monochromatic), make the alligator look more dopey than threatening, but it's still understandable that a kid wouldn't want one under his bed.
Mr. Mayer is excited about his book, and really gets into the storytelling, but he uses some rather silly sound effects over the story, like children laughing. However, the music he chooses, upbeat banjo, for the second half of the story, fits very well. Recommended for grades K-2.



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Thursday, December 15, 2011

Review: Jahanara: Princess of Princesses, India, 1627


Jahanara: Princess of Princesses, India, 1627
Jahanara: Princess of Princesses, India, 1627 by Kathryn Lasky

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Daughter of Shah Jahan, who would later build the Taj Mahal, Jahanara is an Indian princess surrounded by wealth and beauty. This book, written as though it were her diary written in her early teenaged years, lets us peek into her world-- a world of gems, gold, delicious food, and no hard labor, but also a world of political maneuverings, occasional poisonings, and isolation. She and her father's wives and harem are not allowed to be seen by the outside world, and spend their lives looking out at the world through screens that shield them from the eyes of others. Since she is a princess, most people are not allowed to touch her, nor she they. The sincere voice of the princess makes history come alive a little, and may shed some light onto what life was like for royalty in India in the 1600s. Following the diary portion of the book are further historical notes, a family tree of the Moghul Dynasty, and pictures of architecture of India, as well as some paintings of the princess and her parents. Recommended for grades 6-8.



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Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Review: The Ruby Key


The Ruby Key
The Ruby Key by Holly Lisle

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Imagine a world separated totally into distinct halves: night and day each have their own magics and their own races. Humans have daytime, and the mysterious and powerful nightlings control the night. At one point, the races were at war, but a truce was agreed upon, and the humans make yearly offerings to the nightlings. They are sure to get inside and lock their doors and windows before the sun sets each night, so that no nightling will steal away any children for breaking the treaty. However, that all changes when Genna and her brother Dan venture out into the night in an attempt to save their mother with some magical sap that the trees only exude at night. They are spotted by nightlings, and are drawn into a web of politics and lies, sent on a separate quest, this time with their entire village at stake should they fail the evil nightling lord in the near-impossible tasks they had set for them. Fairy tale rules abound in this book, giving it a classic and timeless feel. Recommended for grades 6 and up.



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Review: Adventures in Cartooning: How to Turn Your Doodles Into Comics


Adventures in Cartooning: How to Turn Your Doodles Into Comics
Adventures in Cartooning: How to Turn Your Doodles Into Comics by James Sturm

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Have you ever wanted to draw your own cartoon, but you were unsure of where to start and what some of the comic book conventions are? This book, a comic book itself, is a great guide for starting off making your own comics. It follows the adventures of a knight and his fat horse as they journey to find a bubble-gum-chewing dragon. Along the way, they are aided by a magical elf who knows all the rules to making comic books, and the examples they use to teach are wonderfully played out so that the readers know exactly what they're talking about. The art style is simple, appealing, and easy to imitate, with lines for limbs and dots for eyes. In the back of the book, is an Ed-Emberly-inspired step by step guide to drawing the characters, and several examples of comics that children made. This book would be a great guide for children looking for a project to do or who love comic books and want to create their own. Highly recommended for grades 1-5.



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Thursday, December 8, 2011

Review: Unique Monique


Unique Monique
Unique Monique by Maria Rousaki

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Some schools think that having students wear the same clothes levels the playing field and makes students concentrate on their schoolwork instead of worrying about fashion. But what if you hate the uniform? Monique's school uniform is blue and brown and she hates it! She wants to wear something different so she can stand out and be unique. Rummaging through a trunk full of her mother's old clothes in the attic one day, she finds the perfect accessory-- a big red hat. She wears it to school the next day, and is the center of attention. Her teacher gets upset and tells her to take off the hat in class, but she can still wear it in the halls and on the bus home, so Monique holds her head up high and proudly displays the hat to her fellow students when she can. The next day, all of the students are wearing all different kinds of hats. The day after that, hats are banned by the principal. Monique doesn't mind. She found some colorful glasses in the chest, and proudly wears those. The following day, all the kids are sporting glasses. The day after that, glasses are banned, except for those children that need them. The same pattern is followed for all sorts of accessories: colorful socks, headbands, big bags, painted nails, and many more. Finally, Monique comes in one day with her hair perfectly neat, her uniform ordinary, and nothing exceptional about her. Her teacher is thrilled, and calls her up to the front of the class to show everyone what a model student she is. Monique smiles and tells the class about her homework-- showing off the brightest and most colorful braces anyone had ever seen. She had finally found a way to be unique that the principal couldn't ban. The artwork is a skillful mix of media, with watercolor and what appears to be crayon adding texture and interest. The characters are rather simply drawn, with big, circle eyes and simple line noses and mouths. Recommended for K-2.



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Review: Got Your Nose: A True Story


Got Your Nose: A True Story
Got Your Nose: A True Story by Ragnar

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Ever wondered what it would be like if someone actually got your nose when they performed that age-old trick? What would they do with it? Happy Horace finds out the hard way when his twin brother Borris (the bad twin), irritated at Horace's good mood one morning, steals his nose right off of his face and takes it around town, doing the most awful things imaginable to it. A marathon runner's armpit, dog poop, garbage, rotten fish-- nothing is too stinky for Borris to hold Horace's nose to. He even throws it into a beehive and stomps on it! Poor Horace is reduced to following Borris around on his exploits, hoping he'll show mercy. Instead, Borris just laughs-- so Horace swipes his nose right off of his face, and they have a good, old-fashioned Stinkoff. The art is very modern-looking and cartoonish-- the backgrounds don't have outlines, and the characters are almost always depicted in motion. The palate is black and shades of orange, though the characters themselves have blue skin and eyes, which makes them stand out from the scenery. Recommended for grades K-2.



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Saturday, December 3, 2011

Review: Jinx


Jinx
Jinx by Meg Cabot

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Have you ever had a day where nothing seemed to go right? You spilled your breakfast on your lap, had to change your clothes, ended up running late and just missing the bus, and tripped and fell as you were chasing after it-- and that was just the beginning. Now imagine every day going like that, and you might have a glimmering of an idea of what it's like to be Jean-- so unlucky that her family and friends took to calling her Jinx, which she hates. That nickname originated from the very day of her birth. When she was born, there was a huge storm, and the power in the hospital went out. The delivering doctor quipped that her name should have been Jinx instead of Jean, and since the bad luck seemed to stick with her, so did the nickname. This red-headed daughter of a preacher has to move from her native Iowa to New York to live with her aunt, uncle, and cousins near the end of a school year to escape a sticky situation with an ex-boyfriend, only to be landed in a worse one with her cousin Torrance. Torrance, with dyed black hair, lots of makeup, and much changed from the cheerful blonde girl who preferred to be called Tory, tries to get her to join her coven in spite of Jean's insistence that it isn't a good idea. Overwhelmed by Tory's increasingly alarming bullying and manipulation attempts, trying to fit in at a new school, and falling in love with someone she is sure only sees her as a friend (and who Tory has a major crush on), Jean still manages to keep her wits about her and do what she thinks is best. Recommended for grades 7 and up.



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