I was put off by Bliss's ditziness and over-dramatic innocence. The writing made it seem like she was 14 instead of 22. Otherwise, this was generic chI was put off by Bliss's ditziness and over-dramatic innocence. The writing made it seem like she was 14 instead of 22. Otherwise, this was generic chick-lit fluff: exactly what it says on the tin. ...more
I realize this is a classic... and I realize it's one of the most beloved children's stories... but I was just too preoccupied cringing at the languagI realize this is a classic... and I realize it's one of the most beloved children's stories... but I was just too preoccupied cringing at the language, misogyny, and racism to really focus on the story.
I think it's just a matter of generational differences. This was written at the beginning of the 1900s when calling Native Americans redskins and misinterpreting their culture was just normal. They were just another distinguishable group that could be caricatured like pirates. It was also a time when calling someone an ass (which Tinkerbell loved to do) was a little bit more appropriate (I'm assuming?), and an fairy orgy meant something different, too.
As a story, I think that Peter Pan is great. The concepts of Neverland, fairy dust, ticking crocodiles, eternal youth, and make believe are all exciting and had my imagination whirling while reading. This is a great story, but I think that I favor the modern adaptations. ...more
This graphic novel for children is actually 10 short comics written by different authors. Each of these stories, including Jellaby, Zita the SpacegirlThis graphic novel for children is actually 10 short comics written by different authors. Each of these stories, including Jellaby, Zita the Spacegirl, and Missile Mouse, has a full length graphic novel counterpart. This format works great for children who may only want to read a smaller story, or who may want to sample several different comics before settling on a full length novel.
Since this was written by several authors, the reading level completely fluctuates. Some comics are wordless and others involve lots of dialogue and explanation paragraphs. I also like that most of the stories are sci-fi and fantasy, which I don't think there's enough of for the younger readers. Overall, this was a really cool read. ...more
This book fills a fantastic need for representation of people who are American-Chinese. There were three stories occurring, one of a monkey king who wThis book fills a fantastic need for representation of people who are American-Chinese. There were three stories occurring, one of a monkey king who wanted to become immortal, one of a student named Jin Wang who has lived in America all his life but still experiences prejudice, and one that projects itself as a “TV Show” where an American boy is visited by his Chinese cousin each year. In the end, all three of these stories intertwine together in a very surreal way.
This book definitely made me uncomfortable in a needed way. The character Chin-Kee who is the Chinese cousin who visits America, was highly over exaggerated from his mocking traditional clothing, long black braid, and buck teeth to his broken, heavy accented English. Everything about the character is made to be flamboyant, annoying, and fall right into the stereotypes that are present in America. I think this is a great way to bring up a discussion about prejudice and stereotyping in a way that may be slightly humorous but that is ultimately shaming. This book can be used to focus on reading lessons about text to world connections and understanding emotion and narrative writing. ...more
This was really heartbreaking. Having mice for characters made some of the subject matter, especially the hangings, a bit easier to stomach, but this This was really heartbreaking. Having mice for characters made some of the subject matter, especially the hangings, a bit easier to stomach, but this was still a very realistic first hand account of the horror of the Holocaust....more
**spoiler alert** In Taemon’s community, everyone has and uses Psi which is an ability to manipulate things and complete all tasks with the mind. A pe**spoiler alert** In Taemon’s community, everyone has and uses Psi which is an ability to manipulate things and complete all tasks with the mind. A person just needs to know how something works, and he’s able to mentally command the materials to operate.
Problems arise when the community’s religious organization begins to seek out The True Son spoken of in prophesies, and Taemon’s brother Yens believes that the son may be Taemon. When the family takes a vacation to the beach, Yens begins taunting Taemon and pushes him off of a cliff into the water and jagged rocks below out of jealousy and hatred. Taemon is able to survive by using a mental gift only he has, but a confrontation with Yens afterwards leaves him without any Psi at all. Taemon manages to cover up his Psi-lessness for several months before he is finally caught and sent to the community outside the walls of the city where everyone is Psi-less, including an old woman who can see into the future.
Eventually Taemon learns that Yens was revealed to be The True Son, and the leaders plan to start a war on the side of the Republik that lives beyond the mountains. One night the leaders violently barge into the Psi-less community in order to steal their hidden library. Armed with the new knowledge of the library, the leaders are almost unstoppable; knowing anatomy, they can control other’s bodies; knowing chemistry, they could rip apart any anatomical structure. Taemon and a small group of rebels journey back into the city to try to defeat the leaders. The book ends with Taemon being regifted his Psi by the Heart of the Earth and being told he is The True Son. He uses his newly restored Psi to will that all of the Psi in the land be taken away from all humans. The book ends on a cliffhanger as Taemon leaves the city to journey to the Republik. ...more
Annie and Rew live in a small house at the edge of a forest with their Gran. Their Gran struggles with depression after the loss of her husb3.5 stars
Annie and Rew live in a small house at the edge of a forest with their Gran. Their Gran struggles with depression after the loss of her husband, and sometimes goes for days without leaving her room. The kids learn to look after themselves, shop for groceries in town, cook their own meals, and avoid asking anything that may upset their Gran. After a huge jailbreak, the family finds themselves held hostage by a runaway inmate who brings a lot more questions.
The book made parallels between the American hostages in the Iran war and Annie's hostage situation, which I thought was interesting. There was also a focus on mental illness, broken homes, unconventional families, and reflection on morality and what is truly considered right and wrong. I liked that it focused on some of these darker and more realistic topics. ...more
This book was written from a parenting perspective, but I think it's still useful for teachers. I found some helpful tips for how to approach reluctanThis book was written from a parenting perspective, but I think it's still useful for teachers. I found some helpful tips for how to approach reluctant readers and how to make it more interesting for them.
- Rhyme rhythm and repetition are important to good books.
- Start with a bottom-up approach where you immerse the child by reading aloud first. Then, you came make games of finding rhyming words or certain letters on each page and slowly introduce phonics in a fun way.
- Reading aloud as early as day 1 helps as a bonding experience between parents and infants, and it allows infants to become comfortable with the sound of their language.
- Read at least 3 stories each day: one favorite, one familiar, and one new.
- "Vocal gymnastics" include varying your voice from loud to soft, fast to slow, high and low, and appropriate p-a-u-s-e-s
- 3 "secrets" of reading are understanding print (the squiggles have meaning), understanding language, and understanding how the world works (and draw meaning and knowledge from reading).
- Reading lists of sight words can be confusing and dull. Pronunciation and meaning depends on context in a sentence.
- Tell children the words they don't know or understand. Forcing them to "sound it out" each time slows them down and distracts them from gaining meaning from the text.
- Use positive reinforcement, but don't overpraise.
- If a child substitutes a word, but the meaning is there, then leave it alone. ...more
This felt more like a series of vignettes than a full story, but it was funny and entertaining. I found the biographical information at the end of theThis felt more like a series of vignettes than a full story, but it was funny and entertaining. I found the biographical information at the end of the book to be very interesting. I can see this book sparking interest for students, and a list of biographical books about Houdini was conveniently included.