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May 2008
Light in August: 05/31/08
In William Faulkner's novels, the narration (method of story telling) is more the point than the narrative (the story). In Light in August, the story of Lena's search for her baby's father and Joe Christmas's tragic life is told through a series of oral histories.
Alysson Olivera in her review of Light in August focuses on the importance of memory in narration of the novel. As so much of the book is told as the sort of gossip you'd hear from friends and neighbors, most of the story is told in flashback. Each chapter builds as a separate but connected short story with the punchline in the last couple pages of the chapter being the thing that ties all the chapters together into a coherent narrative.
The book has strong Christian themes, much as the way that Steinbeck's East of Eden is based on the book of Genesis. Joe Christmas is an obvious Christ figure.
Of the William Faulkner books I've read, it was probably one of the most enjoyable ones. He's not a favorite author of mine. I find his experimentation with narration over focusing on building a strong narrative tiresome and often times counterproductive.
Read the reviews at Alysson's Weblog, Eli's Reader Response, Lit on Fire.
books | fiction | william faulkner
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Big Jeremy: 05/31/08
Big Jeremy by Steven Kroll and illustrated by Donald Carrick is written in the style of an American folktale but it takes place in modern times on a small family farm.
Big Jeremy is as big as barn an he lives in one. He works for the Terisons who have an impressive apple orchard. He lives in their retrofitted barn an helps with the apple harvest every year.
One day though Jeremy has a very bad day and ends up breaking a number of things. Distressed over the harm he's done to the Terison farm, he floats away on the raft. The book is mostly the after affect of Jeremy's flight from the farm.
Donald Carrick's colorful illustrations help bring Jeremy to life. He's reminiscent of Paul Bunyan minus the beard, the axe and the ox.
books | fiction | childrens | steven kroll | donald carrick
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Upcoming Reviews for the Week of June 2: 05/31/08
This week's theme is simple: Catch Up On Reviews Week.
How to:
- Catch up on your reviews as much as you can this week.
- Towards the end of the week, write a wrap-up post about how that went for you. You could list all the books you reviewed, if you like, and if some of the posts are up already, you could link to them.
- Come back and sign the Mister Linky at the bottom of the page with your end-of-the-week wrap-up post.
I'm going to say right out, that I'm not going to follow the rules. I intentionally run up a backlog of books to review. I have committed to reviewing at least one book or story each and every day for a total of 366 book reviews this year. Life is variable and full of surprises and I like having a cushion of books needing review just in case I can't keep up with my reading.
I also need time to think about my reviews. I am not an off-the-cuff reviewer. If I were to review a book right after I finished it, the review would be purely emotional and lacking on substance. I need time to think about why the book effected me in the way that it did, what the book reminded me of, what I liked and didn't like and what the overall theme of the book was.
So instead of committing to reviewing my entire backlog of books which currently stands at about forty, I am posting the books I plan to review next week. I normally post this list on Monday but since my list fits so perfectly with Dewey's challenge, I am posting it now. The first four books are ones I still am committed to writing this weekend.
Upcoming reviews include:
This week's reviews will be collection of children's books (both fiction and nonfiction) aimed at children ages 4 to 8, a couple of short stories from this month's issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, another issue from Bleach, a mystery and a classic that I read for the Decades Challenge.
books | pussreboots | reviews | blog | weekly geeks
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A Day with Air Traffic Controllers: 05/30/08
At the start of this decade, Joanne Winne wrote a series of nonfiction "A Day With..." books aimed at children ages 4 to 8. A Day with Air Traffic Controllers follows what a typical day in an air traffic control tower is like.
The day is told with a series of color photographs and first person text that is easy to read but still focuses on introducing new vocabulary specific to the job. For example, the text: "A plane has landed on the runway. I tell the pilot where to park the plane" is followed by a full color photograph of an American Airlines plane on a runway with the tower in the background.
Other books in the series published by Children's Press (now part of Scholastic) include:
books | nonfiction | childrens | joanne winne
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The Art of Alchemy: 05/30/08
The first story in the June issue of FSF is "The Art of Alchemy" by Ted Kosmatka. It is a high tech corporate espionage story that promises to revolutionize the modern world.
The protagonist isn't your typical mystery/thriller hero. He describes himself thus: "It's mostly math I do, and something close to metallurgy." (page 6) His skills at metallurgy come into play when he and his girl friend are given a chance to buy proof of a carbon nanotube longer than ever before created and the formula for creating these nanotubes.
These nanotubes will revolutionize the construction of all sorts of things from airplanes, medical equipment, protective clothing, weapons and so forth. If a company could control the patents behind the technology. The company in question will do anything to suppress the technology including killing off the competition. Can the alchemist survive?
I enjoyed this story. It was a good combination of a straight up thriller and a speculative fiction.
To learn more, please see the author's website and read the interview on the magazine's blog.
Read the reviews at The Aether Cowboy, The Fix , The Barking Dog.
fantasy science fiction magazine | fiction | short story | ted kosmatka
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Quirky Booking: 05/30/08
It's Friday and time to sum up the ways that people came to my site in the past week.
The top 10 searches of May 23-29:
- quirky booking pussreboots:
See my January 31, 2008 Booking Through Thursday post. (up from #7) - Myanmar:
There was a devastating cyclone that hit Myanmar earlier in the month. I have not blogged about it but you can see my 2005 post, "Myanmar, Not Burma..."(down from #1) - dark summit: the true story of everest's most controversial season:
I reviewed the book on May 17, 2008 and Melanie Billings won my review copy. (second week at #3) - arguments of the model millionaire:
See my August 24, 2007 review of The Happy Prince and Other Stories. - free digital book the halloween tree:
I don't know of any free versions of this book but you can read my October 24, 2007 review. - neverwhere chapter:
I don't have any chapters available but I did review the book on March 27, 2008. (second week at #6) - sea theme art:
See my under the sea themed gallery. - the secret museum by sheila greenwald book cover:
I haven't read The Secret Museum but I did read and review The Mariah Delany Lending Library Disaster on February 12, 2008. - "a church of her own":
Read my May 8, 2008 review. - "chance traveler" review:
Read my March 1, 2008 review of Blind Woman, Sleeping Willow.
Expecting Adam: 05/29/08
I received Expecting Adam by Martha Beck as a gift when I was about 14 weeks pregnant with Harriet. That's the time when one is tested for possible genetic abnormalities like Down Syndrome. Expecting Adam is Beck's memoir of her difficult pregnancy with Adam, her son who has Down Syndrome.
As some one who has suffered through two miscarriages for unknown reasons, I completely understand Beck's decision to continue with her pregnancy even though her son would require extra help at school and would be at risk for heart problems. I would have done the same with either of my children too. Like Beck, I would have used remaining time in my pregnancy to learn as much as I possibly could about my child's condition.
Beck's memoir covers the time just before her second pregnancy, through her pregnancy and shortly after the delivery. She also bounces forward and backward in her life to show what life was like before Adam and what it's like with him. He is bookended by his two sisters.
On top of the stress of a difficult pregnancy (Beck's descriptions of her morning sickness makes mine seem like a cake walk!) she also had the stress of being a graduate student at Harvard and having a husband who was constantly traveling as part of his research. Although I'm not a graduate student, Ian has been through both pregnancies and he had to do a lot of traveling when I was pregnant with Sean.
I usually shy away from parenting memoirs but I really enjoyed this one. I felt a connection to Beck and when I was done with the book I immediately called my mother to tell her about it. In fact I'm mailing the book to her next week.
The book does have a few flaws. The writing is rough in places and sometimes in need of clearer segues. Nonetheless, it's one of the best books I've read this year.
I read this book for the Spring Reading Challenge and the In Your Shoes Challenge.
Read the reviews at Five by Forty, Poems.
books | nonfiction | down syndrome | martha beck
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Bleach 13: 05/29/08
Bleach 13: The Undead relies heavily on more bloated spirit energy battles. The biggest battle in this volume is between Ichigo and Kenpachi Zakari who is what Ichigo could have become if his friends hadn't intervened. Kenpachi relies on his brute strength both in his physique and in his spirit energy. Kenpachi is where Ichigo was back in Volume 8 except that he's never advanced beyond that critical point in his training.
In the process of learning about Kenpachi's underlying weakness Ichigo returns to the strange abandoned urban setting where he first learns to meld his strength with that of Zangetsu. His return to this metaworld gives hints as to its true power and to Ichigo's destiny.
I liked Bleach 13 more than the previous couple of volumes. It felt like the story was getting back on track even if the battle with Kenpachi Zakari took more of the pages than I would have liked. At least his battle was a means to further exposition.
books | manga | fantasy | tite kubo
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Booking Through Thursday: Reading: 05/29/08
Suggested by: Thisisnotabookclub
What is reading, anyway? Novels, comics, graphic novels, manga, e-books, audiobooks — which of these is reading these days? Are they all reading? Only some of them? What are your personal qualifications for something to be "reading" — why? If something isn't reading, why not? Does it matter? Does it impact your desire to sample a source if you find out a premise you liked the sound of is in a format you don't consider to be reading? Share your personal definition of reading, and how you came to have that stance.
(Two weeks late for Reading is Fundamental week, but, well…)
Reading for me is a visual experience. I use my eyes to look at words and then I hear what I've seen in my head. Hopefully what I've just decoded makes sense and I'm able to add it together to understand it. If that happens, then I've "read" it. I don't count listening to audio books as reading because my attention tends to wander and I just don't catch as much of a story through listening to someone else read it as I would if I'd read it myself.
Of course, were I to lose my sight, then I would have to pay greater attention to audio books if I wanted to keep up with my reading. I would also want to learn Braille, because I think it would feel like a more natural way to read than sitting through another person read a book to me.
Seeing words though isn't enough. I have to be able to follow the story. I have to be interested in the story. For instance, I've gone through the motions three times of Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. Although I know what the plot is from reading reviews as sitting through class lectures, I still don't feel like I've read it. Conrad's convoluted method of telling the story just doesn't "do it" for me and the words don't stick in my head any meaningful way.
I also have to be able to understand the writing system. For instance, I know enough Yiddish to understand it if I hear it spoken or read it transliterated but I don't know enough of the Hebrew alphabet to read Yiddish as it is written.
I also have to understand the language that the message or book or whatever is written in. For instance, I know the Greek alphabet but I don't know enough Greek to make much of anything actually written in Greek save for a few nouns.
So reading involves recognizing words, understanding those words and comprehending the words in context to grasp the larger meaning.
booking through thursday | books | reading
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The Magic School Bus: The Great Shark Escape: 05/28/08
Ms. Frizzle the vampire promises her class a normal field trip to the local aquarium only to find that it is closed for repairs. What to do? Of course, transform the bus, endanger the students and take them on a deep sea adventure!
The facts presented in this book are almost identical to Cole's older book, Hungry, Hungry Sharks except now they are dressed up in the trappings of The Magic School Bus. I wouldn't have noticed the similarities if I hadn't read the books back to back.
Both books teach about the different types of sharks. Hungry, Hungry Sharks is presented as a straight up reference book aimed at a first grade reading level. The Magic School Bus book presents the same facts as a fantasy adventure. My son likes both books. He can read Hungry, Hungry Sharks without needing much help but prefers to listen to The Magic School Bus: The Great Shark Escape during story time at school.
books | childrens | nonfiction | joanna cole
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#60: Exotic Animals on Books: 05/28/08
This week I'm focusing on exotic animals on book covers. I seem to have a herd of elephants!
1. Postcards: True Stories that Never Happened edited by Jason Rodriguez |
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2. The Lion's Own Story by Crockett Johnson |
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3. Park by Pierre Pratt |
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4. Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle |
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5. Tall by Jez Alborough |
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6. Mommy Hugs by Anne Gutman and Georg Hallenslebenby |
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7. Monkey See, Monkey Do by Marc Gave |
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8. Opposites by Eric Carle |
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9. Lucky You by Carl Hiaasen |
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10. The Elephant's Bathtub edited by Frances Carpenter |
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11. From Head to Toe by Eric Carle |
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12. Little Polar Bear, Take Me Home! by Hans de Beer |
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13. The Wild Parrrots of Telegraph Hill by Mark Bittner |
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thursday thirteen | books
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Hungry, Hungry Sharks: 05/27/08
With Hungry, Hungry Sharks and The Magic School Bus: The Great Shark Escape, both by Joanna Cole, I feel like I'll be reviewing the same book twice. Hungry, Hungry Sharks! written first is a straight forward introductory science book about sharks.
This book is part of the "Step into Reading" series and is aimed at first grade readers. The book covers the different types of sharks, their habitats, their diet, reproduction and other interesting facts.
The section on the goblin shark is especially interesting, so much so that it appears verbatim as a sidebar in the The Magic School Bus book that I will be reviewing on May 28th.
books | childrens | nonfiction | joanna cole
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Classics Challenge: 05/27/08
I participated in last year's Classics Challenge and I've been debating whether or not I should participate again this year. I don't want to get overwhelmed in challenges but the Classics Challenge was one of my favorites last year.
After debating with myself since it was announced, I've decided to jump in and participate in this year's Classics Challenge.
Participants are asked to respond to a few questions and to suggest a bonus book (one that might not be a classic but probably should be). After answering the questions, we're supposed to list our selection of books.
- My favorite classic is Moby Dick by Herman Melville. It's one of the funniest books I've ever read.
- The classic I had the toughest time finishing is Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. I've read through it three times and each time was painful. The story just doesn't stick with me.
- I would recommend A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens to someone who doesn't read a lot of classics or who doesn't generally like classics because it is short (less than 100 pages) and well known.
- To me, a classic book is a book that is old. I have to admit to playing fast and loose with the definition of "classic." To me work of art over 50 years is a classic.
- The type of relationship I have with classics is a relatively healthy one. I love reading old books! I'm probably better read with the classics than I am with modern fiction.
I am picking the following books:
- A Bell for Adano by John Hershey | read the review
- A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway | read the review
- Adventures of Don Quixote de La Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes
- Captains Courageous by Rudyard Kipling
- Lorna Doone by R. D. Blackmore
- (Bonus) Ripley Under Water by Patricia Highsmith
The challenge runs from July 1 through December 31, 2008.
books | fiction | classics challenge
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Harriet the Spy: 05/27/08
Since naming my youngest Harriet, I've had a number of people ask me or just outright assume that I named her for the title character from Louise Fitzhugh's novel Harriet the Spy (1964). She isn't named for the book but she did prompt me to read the book.
Many of the books reviews I've read for Harriet the Spy credit it for being ground breaking its brutally honest portrayal of childhood. Maybe it's the first (or among the first) to depict children in then contemporary society. The book though was noteworthy enough to win the Sequoyah Book Award.
I wish I could say I liked the book, but frankly, I didn't. Harriet is an unlikable and unreliable protagonist. She is left in the care of everyone except her ever absent parents who only actively take part in her life when everyone else has given up. She is first in the care of a governess, Catherine, though always called by Harriet's nickname, Ole Golly. She is later left in the hands of the less than sympathetic cook. Her parents are only ever there to be off to parties or to be overheard arguing.
Harriet meanwhile is given free reign to spy on her friends and neighbors. She's filled up 14 note books since her 8th birthday (she's 11 in the book). When she's finally caught spying her compulsive need to write in her note books becomes rather scary to read. Before her parents even try to talk to her, she's sent to therapy.
Harriet's tragic year seems to be more a scathing look at the wealthy rather than childhood in general. Maybe that's what makes Harriet so unusual. Most YA books seem to children from blue collar families.
I read this book for the Spring Reading Thing.
Read the reviews at TNPC, Blogging My Books, Book Addiction, Rather Be Reading.
books | childrens | louise fitzhugh
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The Seven-per-Cent Solution: 05/26/08
Sherlock Holmes is among an elite set of fictional characters who has outlived his creator and even his own written death (The Final Problem1893). Holmes continues to solve crimes as written by a number of authors including this 1974 version, The Seven-Per-Cent Solution by Nicholas Meyer. The book was made into a film in 1976, which I've enjoyed watching a number of times.
One thing that is universal across all these Sherlock Holmes tales (those by Doyle and these later ones) is that the stories are never told from Holmes's point of the view. In the Doyle style, the job of reporting Holmes's adventures falls on Dr. John Watson. Holmes throughout remains too unusual and too superhuman to understand, though Watson and other characters try.
Another commonality of the post-Doyle stories is the inclusion of famous historical figures and events. Sherlock Holmes is far better traveled and even more famous in these novels than he ever was in the Doyle's short stories. The Seven-Per-Cent Solution is a classic example of Holmes-as-celebrity because he meets and manages to solve a mystery with Dr. Sigmund Freud.
In the film, maybe because Sherlock Holmes seems to lend himself to becoming a steampunk James Bond in movies, Dr. Freud is somewhat plausible. The entire cinematic adaptation borders on the surreal as an attempt to visualize the cocaine stupor Holmes is in for the first half of the story. That surreal approach makes Freud just one more aspect of the wackiness that is the 1976 film.
In the book, Dr. Freud seems like a forced detail. The whole business of Holmes's out of control addiction and the trickery that Watson goes through to get his friend to Vienna doesn't work. It's corny and out of character for both Watson and Holmes. It is a ridiculous means to and end to get the two to where the mystery is taking place.
There is nothing about the mystery of the missing heiress that couldn't be done in London or an estate in the countryside. Her ties to the Kaiser could still have been part of the plot without the silly trip to Vienna.
So if you like Sherlock Holmes stories, keep in mind that Nicholas Meyer's novel is flawed. See, though, if you can, the 1976 film adaptation of his novel. It takes advantage of the goofier bits of the novel to make a very entertaining film.
Read the review at Rick's Caf� Americain.
books | mystery | sherlock holmes | arthur conan doyle | nicholas meyer
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Space: 05/26/08
Space by Carole Stott was originally published in the "Worldwise" series in the 1990s and is now part of DK Publishing's "Eye Wonder" series.
Space is a solid introduction to astronomy. The book covers things like rotation (a planet's day) and revolution (a planet's year), the different kinds of stars, differences of scale of the planets and so forth. Each new subject is expanded upon across a two page spread.
The book is designed for ages 4 to 8 and it is interesting enough to read in one sitting but is solid enough to be used as a reference book for looking up facts.
The cover I'm displaying is from the old "Worldwise" series but if you follow the link it will take you to the more recent "Eye Wonder" series.
books | childrens | nonfiction | carole stott
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Upcoming Reviews for the Week of May 26: 05/26/08
This week's selection will continue last week's emphasis on children's books, including another Junie B. Jones book. I will have two by Joanna Cole, another Tite Kubo and the first two reviews from the June issue of the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction.
Upcoming reviews include:
books | pussreboots | reviews | blog
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The Little Baby Snoogle Fleejar: 05/25/08
The Little Baby Snoogle-Fleejer is the first book I've read by a former president and among the weirdest children's books I've read.
The crux of the story is pretty straightforward: it's your classic "don't judge a book by its cover" type story.
The story is told as a fairy tale beginning in the usual "Once upon a time..." fashion. It follows a Jeremy who lives at the sea with his mother. Jeremy spends his days sitting on the beach mostly by himself because he can't walk (and I guess therefore has no friends?)
Jeremy comes into his own though when he can save the beach from a horrible sea monster, who of course isn't really horrible, just different. The monster in question is the title character.
Morals abound at the end:
- Everyone is important
- Anyone can be a hero
- Don't be afraid of people who are different
- Be willing to do the right thing even if no one else is
There book is well suited for a classroom situation. It would be perfect for story time with a question and answer session with students.
books | childrens | jimmy carter | amy carter
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The Miracle on 34th Street: 05/24/08
Continuing on the theme of books and films and their on again, off again relationship, I bring you the cross media collaboration. Most often a film or a book will come first (and more often than not, it will be the book that inspires the film). There are exceptions to that rule where there is no first and instead the book and the film are created at the same time. Among this set of collaborations are: Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and this little gem, The Miracle on 34th Street (1947).
In the dedication of the novel Valentine Davies explains he was inspired to write the screenplay version first and only after his work on the film was done did he feel ready to "invite" Mr. Kringle "within the covers of a book." Miracle on 34th Street, though, is not a quick novelization of a film as say Hook by Terry Books is. Novelizations tend to be more descriptive than these collaborations whereas the collaborations are terse on description and more focused on getting into the heads of the characters.
Miracle on 34th Street is a short piece, exactly 120 pages, so it's not much longer than the companion film (which clocks in at 97 minutes). It like the film follows a man going by the name Kris Kringle who finds himself in a bit of a pickle just before Christmas; he faces eviction from his retirement home room because he insists that he is Santa Claus. Needing a new place to live he goes to an old friend to ask for a place to sleep while he finds a more permanent solution. On his way he stumbles into the job of being Santa for the Macy's parade (Macy's being at the corner of Broadway and 34th, hence the title). He's such a good and convincing Santa that he ends up revolutionizing the whole Christmas retail experience that year: placing the emphasis on customer happiness rather than sales. Of course ultimately Kringle's sanity (resisting the urge to quote A Night at the Opera here) is called into question.
The film and the novel are both cozy, heartwarming things to experience. As a child growing up, the film was a yearly event in our house just as It's a Wonderful Life (1947) is for so many. My favorite character then and now is Susan Walker (portrayed so perfectly by Natalie Wood in the film). Susan is the daughter of woman at Macy's who gives Kris his job. She's a smart, head strong child of a single mother who learns in the course of the story how to have a little more fun. As a once child of a single mother, I can completely relate to her and to the miracle of the house.
Most of the books I read these days I have plans for either to give away on my blog or to release through BookCrossing but this is one book that is a beloved member of my permanent collection.
Weekly Geeks 5: Film Studies: 05/24/08
This week's theme was suggested by Renay. She says, "I thought it would be cool to ask people to talk about other forms of story-telling."
Dewey goes on to suggest writing about films or TV and that's just what I'll do. Although I rarely write about either on my blog, I actually have two film degrees: a BA in Film Studies from UCSB and an MA in Critical Studies from UCLA. Both of these focused on the literary and cultural importance of film versus the production side of things.
I chose film studies as my major after having watched 2001: A Space Odyssey on cable (I'm too young to have seen it when it was released in 1968). When it was all done I asked my grandmother what the movie meant because it seemed deeper than your typical science fiction adventure. She said, "After all these years, I still don't know." My first though was, "Damn, someone must know!" but at that time I didn't know who to ask for even how to find out on my own. Fast forward a couple of years and a recruit came from UCSB and I wanting to get out of AP English went to the presentation. When I saw Film Studies listed as a degree from the College of Letters and Sciences I realized I'd found my answer to "What does 2001 mean?" I also realized that 2001 couldn't be enough reason to have an entire major devoted to film, so the other films must mean something too.
As it happened, my questions about 2001 were answered in the first month as a Freshman in FS46. No, I'm not going to tell you. Bwahahhaha.
"Films do all the thinking for you" is a common misperception. For you to come away remembering or understanding anything about the film or TV show you've just seen you have be actively engaged in the story. You have to be following the plot, the characters and the various visual clues dropped along the way. If you're not, you won't get much from the experience.
"Films are the director's interpretation" is another misconception. Directors direct what is before the camera. Your average film or TV episode is a collaborative effort with creative input from the screenwriter, the set designers, the cinematographer, the actors, the special effects team, the sound crew, and so forth.
Now some directors do take a hands on approach to all these elements of their film. Alfred Hitchcock is probably the most famous example and Stanley Kubrick (2001 again) being another. These directors can be labeled "auteurs" for the way in which the influence the creation of their films. Robert Altman is another prime example of an auteur.
Here is a brief list of terms useful when studying a film. There are many more but I don't want to cram six years of study into a single blog post.
Dewey also asked us to provide a list of our favorite examples. A short list of some of my favorites includes:
As you can see my film tastes are all over the map just like my reading tastes.
weekly geeks | film | meme
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Junie B., First Grader: Boss of Lunch: 05/23/08
Although my last two reviews of books from the Junie B. Jones series were harsh, I do still enjoy the series. Junie B., First Grader: Boss of Lunch (#19) is the second book in the series where Junie B. has moved onto first grade.
In these later books she is better settled and more mature. Junie B. loves being in first grade but she misses some of the perks of being a kindergartner, like the cookies she used to get at snack time.
Besides wanting the cookies, Junie B. wants to feel important. She thinks that working with the lunch lady (who always brings the cookies to the kindergarten class) will do just the trick. Unfortunately for Junie, working in the lunch room requires a lot of patience, something Junie doesn't always have.
I liked Boss of Lunch because the story stays within the bounds of day to day school life. Junie B. is the most believable when she's interacting with her classmates.
This review marks #800 for me!
Read the reviews at Mrs. McGowan's class, LCS ES Library/IT, Lauren's World Literature for Children Blog, Book Talks.
Alphabet City: 05/23/08
Alphabet City is one Sean's first books. I gave it to him for his first Christmas. Now that he's older and learning to read, he has rediscovered this book for its creative look at the alphabet.
Alphabet City is a picture book, made up of twenty-six urban paintings. Each painting is an illustration of a letter from the alphabet. Some are more obvious than others. The letter C, made from the shadow cast along the edge of a rose window is the most dubious letter representation; it would have made a better O than C.
Stephen Johnson's picture book was a 1996 Caldecott Honor Book. There is a companion book called City by Numbers that I would like to get sometime for Sean.
Read the reviews at Unplug Your Kids, ><((((�>.
books | art | childrens | stephen t johnson
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Still Searching for Myanmar: 05/23/08
It's Friday and time to sum up the ways that people came to my site in the past week.
The top 10 searches of May 16-22:
- Myanmar:
There was a devastating cyclone that hit Myanmar earlier in the month. I have not blogged about it but you can see my 2005 post, "Myanmar, Not Burma..."(2nd week at 1)
- "postcards: true stories that never happened":
I reviewed Postcards: True Stories that Never Happened on May 19, 2008.
- dark summit: the true story of everest's most controversial season:
I reviewed the book on May 17, 2008 and Melanie Billings won my review copy.
- "flight of the goose"
Flight of the Goose was on my wishlist and the publisher sent me a copy. It is in my queue for an upcoming review and sweepstakes. Stay tuned. (2nd week at 4).
- alphabet book:
I have reviewed a number of alphabet books and will be reviewing Alphabet City soon. Reviews included: The Butterfly Alphabet Book by Brian Cassie and Eating the Alphabet by Lois Ehlert.
- neverwhere chapter:
I don't have any chapters available but I did review the book on March 27, 2008.
- quirky characters children's books:
See my January 31, 2008 Booking Through Thursday post.
- the five people you meet in heaven:
I reviewed the book on May 13, 2008.
- yours turly shirley ann martin:
I reviewed the book on February 14, 2008.
- "a border-line case," by daphne du maurier:
"A Border-Line Case" is the 4th story in Don't Look Now. I reviewed this collection of short stories on August 11, 2007.
The Road from La Cueva: 05/22/08
The Road from La Cueva by Sheila Ortego is a slim but emotionally charged novel. Ana Howland needs to figure out what she wants from life and if that includes her husband and his long but mostly unwritten list of rules.
The novel follows Ana as she learns to think and feel for herself rather than doing what others expect of her or what she thinks others expect of her. Ana thankfully does grow over the course of the novel and she makes mistakes along the way.
The narrative tightly follows Ana giving no insight into what other characters are thinking beyond what Ana herself guesses they might be thinking. There were times I wanted to know more about the people in Ana's life, especially the two men in her life.
Of course in 140 pages, there isn't much room for deep characterization. We are treated to snippets of Ana's life, her friends and her family and ultimately her transformation.
Learn more about the novel at Sheila Ortego's blog.
Read the reviews at Terra's Book Blog, January Magazine, My Own Little Reading Room.
books | fiction | contest | sheila ortego
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WLT: A Radio Romance: 05/22/08
WLT: A Radio Romance by Garrison Keillor covers the maverick days of radio much as The Rocky Mountain Moving Picture Association by Loren D. Estleman does for the early days of filmmaking in Hollywood. With all his years in radio, Keillor excels at pointing out the oddities of running a small radio station and the dangers of competing against the big networks. WLT's history is believable even down to the detail that the call letters stand for "with lettuce and tomato."
Where WLT falters is in the telling of the romance. The romance is focused on Frank White, né Francis With and his long time love of WLT and how he builds his life and career at the station. He also falls in love with one of the less popular employees. Unfortunately Frank's story is buried under all the long tangential stories about WLT and the folks who work there and how the station affects the community and so forth.
Imagine if you will, a 7 hour Prairie Home Companion broadcast (normally the show runs 2 hours). That's how WLT reads. Even though I love listening to Keillor's broadcasts and love the film that was inspired by the radio show, WLT was too much of a good thing.
Read the review at Kirkwood.
books | fiction | radio | garrison keillor
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Booking Through Thursday: Books and Films: 05/22/08
Suggested by: Superfastreader:
Books and films both tell stories, but what we want from a book can be different from what we want from a movie. Is this true for you? If so, wha's the difference between a book and a movie?
For my answer, I'm going to ignore documentaries for right now because they have a very different production method than fiction films. Of course sometimes there are gray areas where a nonfiction book will inspire a fiction film (think The Orchid Thief becoming Adapation).
Films and books are two very different things. Films are written in Acts which is why the scripts are also called screenplays or photoplays. Books are written in chapters (or sometimes not) and have far greater flexibility in terms of length and structure. Films are also visual things in that we're shown pictures of action rather than words describing action.
Films and books can and do have repeating themes (motifs). In films they are often easier to spot because they are usually something visually interesting (think of how the color red is used in The Sixth Sense). Book motifs can be easier to miss, especially if you are a speed reader or are reading under distracting situations (both are true for me).
Films can get away with cutting quickly between scenes or characters. Usually characters look different enough that it is fairly easy to figure out that a cut has happened. Books, though, need more of a segue to ease the reader between scenes. That's not to say that authors always give enough warning. Dickens, for instance, will often jump between scenes and characters after only a paragraph or two which is one of the reasons why I find his books difficult to read.
Films also tend to fall within the 90 minute to two hours in length or at the most, three hours. A minute of on screen time is roughly a page of screenplay so there isn't much wiggle room for screenplay writers. Printed stories can run anywhere from a single page (as a short-short story) to more than 1,000 pages.
The vast differences in potential source material is one of the reasons that adaptations from book to film can be so tricky. Books that I haven't enjoyed reading I find myself loving as films (for example: Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad vs. Apocalypse Now). I've seen a large number of Jane Austen adaptations but I've never managed to finish one of her novels.
So getting back to the question: what do I want from books and movies? I just want to be able to understand and enjoy the story.
booking through thursday | books | films
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Catty-Cornered: 05/21/08
I borrowed Catty-Cornered by Cheryl Ware from my local library based on the cover art. Although I sometimes found Venola Mae Cutright's complaining a bit much, I did feel a connection with this adolescent protagonist.
Venola Mae keeps a journal of her time living with her recently widowed Grandmother in the trailer or motorhome in the Cutright's backyard. Venola who hates her Grandmother's thirteen cats more than any of her siblings is the one pegged with the job of keeping Grandmother company while she grieves.
Like Venola I spent time living with my grandmother, although she lived a mile away from my home. I stayed with her after she had a heart attack and I think a couple other times but the reasons why elude me right now. Like Venola's grandmother, mine had a number of cats (five not thirteen but still, a lot of cats). Although I don't hate cats they did add an extra dynamic to staying at my grandmother's house (and extra chores).
Venola also finds herself living under a new set of strict rules: an early bed time, an early wake up call in the morning, no TV except religious shows (brings back memories of Heehaw and Lawrence Welk) and no friends over. My grandmother wasn't as strict as Venola's but I did have to live under a different schedule and different rules.
I think Catty-Cornered could have been a little quicker out of the gate. Venola is given too much time and too many pages to complain early on in her diary. Otherwise, though, I enjoyed the story and the memories it dredged up for me.
books | childrens | cheryl ware
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#59: Books in Outerspace: 05/21/08
When I wrote this Thursday Thirteen I didn't see a theme posted. So I'll do a space themed TT.
1. The Stone Gods by Jeanette Winterson. |
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2. Mercury and Venus by Robin Kerrod. |
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3. Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin |
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4. How Do You Go to the Bathroom in Space? by William R. Pogue. |
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5. Stanley in Space by Jeff Brown. |
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6. "Balancing Accounts" by James L. Cambias. |
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7. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. |
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8. Ten Timid Ghosts by Jennifer O'Connell. |
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9. Shooting Polaris by John Hales |
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10. Commander Toad in Space by Jane Yolen. |
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11. Seeing in the Dark by Timothy Ferris. |
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12. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown |
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13. Bringing Down the Moon by Jonathan Emmett. |
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thursday thirteen | books
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Puss in Boots: 05/20/08
Since this website and blog is a geeky pun on "Puss in Boots" it makes perfect sense to review a book adaptation of the classic fairy tale. My son's favorite version of the story is Puss In Boots by Rochelle Larkin for the "Favorite Fairy Tales" series.
Three brothers inherit the worldly possessions of their miller father. The youngest son gets his "wonderful Cat" and ends up the wealthiest of the sons. The cat who has the ability to dress like a man in coat and boots goes in the service of the local king. Of course one of the tasks he accomplishes is the defeat of a local ogre in a way befitting of a mouser.
My sons' favorite part isn't the defeat of the ogre. He prefers the part where the Cat hides his master's clothing while he's swimming in the river.
Larkin's adaptation simplifies the story in parts and she picks words that are easy to read (a bonus for my son who is now reading). The book is illustrated by Loretta Lustig who brings a 1940s feel to the book.
This book was published twice with slightly different titles: Puss In Boots for the Favorite Fairy Tales Series and Puss 'N Boots for the My Very First Storybook series.
books | childrens | rochelle larkin | loretta lustig
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A Day in Space: 05/20/08
A Day in Space by Suzanne Lord and Jolie Epstein is a perfect follow up to William Pogue's How Do You Go to the Bathroom in Space? Written a year after Pogue's edition, it covers many of the same topics about life in space but from the point of view of living and working on a space shuttle. Of course with the shuttle about to be shelved, both books are now becoming a bit obsolete.
Lord and Epstein's book is also written as a series of questions and answers but aimed at younger readers (4-8 instead of 9-12). At only 32 pages long, it is much shorter than Pogue's more comprehensive volume.
Of the two books, I preferred A Day in Space as a casual read with my children. The emphasis is on the fun and bizarre details of life in space (like how marbles bunch up and the among of time it takes flies to get accustomed to weightlessness). For actual research, Pogue's longer book is better. If you have children interested in space travel, I recommend having a copy of each.
books | nonfiction | suzanne lord | jolie epstein
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Postcards: True Stories that Never Happened: 05/19/08
I've only just started reading graphic novels and manga but when I read the review of Postcards: True Stories that Never Happened on Breeni Books I knew I wanted to read this book. Breeni surprised me by sending me her copy and I'm pleased to say the book is making its way to a third reader.
Postcards isn't a single graphic novel. Rather, it is sixteen graphic short stories. Jason Rodriguez gave an old postcard to sixteen different writer and artist teams to see what they could create given the information contained on their card. The stories included in this volume are:
From this diverse list, my favorites are "Blue" for its magical take on an old memory, "Send Louis His Underwear" for its gory counterpoint between the humorous text and the pictures, and "A History of a Marriage" for its bittersweet look at widower's recollection of his marriage.
As the postcards used in the book were all very old (mostly dating from the 1910s), the stories frequently deal with death and loss. It's only natural to see ghosts in ephemera.
Postcards is now nominated for an Eisner Award. Read the details on Jason Rodriguez's blog.
Read the more at comicsdc, the fialkov, Artifact and Artifice, Roy del Valle, Bookreviews, Zach Smith Writer, Breeni Books.
books | graphic novel | jason rodriguez
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Upcoming Reviews for the Week of May 19: 05/19/08
This week's selection will continue last week's emphasis on children's books, including another Junie B. Jone's book.
Some of the more unusual titles include a romance by Garrison Keillor, a graphic novel based on actual postcards and a children's story by former president Jimmy Carter.
I will also be reviewing and giving two copies a lovely novel: The Road from La Cueva by Sheila Ortego.
Upcoming reviews include:
books | pussreboots | reviews | blog
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Junie B. Jones and Some Sneaky Peeky Spying: 05/18/08
Junie B. Jones and Some Sneaky Peeky Spying tries to be Harriet the Spy for the younger set. While Harriet's unsupervised spying rounds are almost plausible as she's in 6th grade, Junie's behavior is inexcusable. What parent lets a five year old run around in the grocery store unattended?
For the 4th book in the series to work, Junie needs free access to see adults behaving poorly while being afraid of getting in trouble herself. Junie finds herself in a moral dilemma: does she turn in her teacher for steeling and admit that she was spying when she shouldn't or does she let her teacher get away with it?
The book would have been better if the set up hadn't been so ludicrous. Junie could have just as easily see her teacher while helping her mother. Then the dilemma could have been one of don't tell because Mother says so versus telling because Junie believes it is the right thing to do. But no, instead we have to have the cliche of the helpless parent and the out of control child on top of the after school special moral that stealing is bad.
Read the review at Lovin' Literature, Go Crochet.
The Magic School Bus: Going Batty: 05/18/08
The Magic School Bus: Going Batty teaches interesting facts about different kinds of bats. In the process the children, their parents and of course the school bus are transformed into bats. This book does explain the wherefore behind Ms. Frizzle's magic bus and her apparent ability to brainwash the children and their parents into going along on each of her potentially dangerous field trips. Ms. Frizzle is a vampire. Sure, by the end of book Ms. Frizzle has brain washed everyone into ignoring the fact she was acting like a vampire but I like the pat explanation to the entire series.
On a more serious note, the book does have many interesting bat facts. It teaches about echolocation, how bats fly, what bats eat, where bats live and so forth.
Bruce Degen did the illustrations for the book and they are cute and not too scary, even when Ms. Frizzle is at her most vampirish.
Read the review at Teacher in Thailand.
books | childrens | joanna cole | bruce degen
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Dark Summit: 05/17/08
Although Dark Summit sells itself as "the true story of Everest's most controversial season" it also tries to a be a more general history of climbing on Everest. While the details of the mountain's history are interesting and perhaps necessary to help readers put the 2006 season into perspective, the presentation of these facts interrupts the core story.
Nick Heil recreates the 2006 season on Mt Everest and focuses mostly on the climb lead by Russell Brice's Himex team. He breaks the book up into two parts: David Sharp (the expert who died) and Lincoln hall and Thomas Weber (Hall being the man who was pronounced dead but managed to survive the night). He further breaks up the book into chapters named for the different camps along the climb. The David Sharp half takes up 2/3 of the book leaving Lincoln Hall's amazing survival to round out the book in breakneck speed.
The pacing problems come in the David Sharp section. Just as Brice's team is setting out on their climb Heil begins dumping massive amounts of Everest history into his chapters. I think since David Sharp died on the climb and was an Everest celebrity, Heil felt compelled to include a mini biography of the man. Unfortunately Dark Summit isn't set up to be David Sharp's biography. It's supposed to be an examination of what might have gone wrong in the 2006 season or more precisely: what factors were different with Sharp's climb versus Hall's climb that made it possible for one to survive and not the other? With the bulk of the book bogged down with Sharp's life, there isn't much time to actually look at the climb or the 2006 season.
I liked the initial chapter "Katmandu" which sets the stage for the 2006 season and explains the business behind these expeditions. I also enjoyed the entire second section dedicated to Lincoln Hall and Thomas Weber because of the analysis of the rescue methods and the aftermath of the season. If more of the book had been like this final part, I would be raving about this book rather than giving it a luke warm review.
Despite Dark Summit's flaws I did learn a thing or two about Mt. Everest.
Read the reviews at Conversations with Famous Writers, The Loud Librarian, Genre Go Round.
books | nonfiction | contest | nick heil
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Weekly Geeks 4: LGBT Rights: 05/17/08
This week's theme: Choose a political or social issue that matters to you. Find several books addressing that issue; they don't have to books you've read, just books you might like to read. Using images (of the book covers or whatever you feel illustrates your topic) present these books in your blog.
That's an easy one given last week's ruling by the California Supreme Court that over turns the ban on same sex marriage in this state. I am for equality for all adults regardless of ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation. Dewey has also asked for book covers to illustrate our beliefs, so below are links to books I've reviewed and of course their book covers.
Click on the title to read the review. Some of the books are nonfiction and some are fiction.
1. Civil Wars by David Moats. |
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2. Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman by Haruki Murakami. See the story "Chance Traveler". Fiction |
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3. A Church of Her Own by Sarah Sentilles Nonfiction |
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4. Gag by Lovechild Poetry |
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5. How Long Has This Been Going On? by Ethan Morddan Fiction |
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6. Tommy's Tale by Alan Cumming Fiction |
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7. The Velvet Rage by Dr. Alan Downs Nonfiction |
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That's a small sampling of books. They aren't all completely on topic but are all worth reading.
weekly geeks | books | meme
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The Crew: 05/16/08
The Crew is a mystery set in rough neighborhood in London among a gang of teenagers. The story is told from the point of view of Billy, the leader and Ellie, the youngest member.
Billy and his crew look after themselves because the local police don't seem willing to their part even when there is a missing bag of money, a pair of kidnappings and other related crimes. Billy isn't perfect; he's done his fair share of petty crimes but he's trying to do the right thing in this book.
Unlike (Un)Arranged Marriage, the parents and adults in this novel have good relationships with their children. This isn't a book about the power struggle between adults and teens and the way tradition can be used as a disguise for abuse. Instead, this is a social commentary on life in the inner city.
The city here is London so many of the cultural references are specific to that city but on a broader sense, the book is about the hardships and frustrations of living in any city center. Billy describes the poverty, the drugs, the apathetic (and sometimes corrupt) police force, prostitution and gangs. Billy running commentary often includes the why behind a character's actions which makes The Crew less of a collection of cliches and more of a living breathing microcosm.
Read the reviews at otter-grandpa, lyzzybee, teenage fiction.
Searching for Myanmar: 05/16/08
It's Friday and time to sum up the ways that people came to my site in the past week.
The top 10 searches of May 9-15:
- Myanmar:
There was a devastating cyclone that hit Myanmar earlier in the week. Last I heard the death toll was up around 78,000. I have not blogged about it but you can see my 2005 post, "Myanmar, Not Burma..."(Up from 5)
- "good omens" pussreboots:
I reviewed Good Omens on December 10, 2007. (Down from 1)
- fast profits in hard times: 10 secret strategies to make you rich in an up or down economy:
Read my April 26, 2008 review.
- "flight of the goose"
Flight of the Goose was on my wishlist and the publisher sent me a copy. It is in my queue for an upcoming review and sweepstakes. Stay tuned. (Up from 10).
- daphne du maurier don't look now:
I reviewed this collection of short stories on August 11, 2007.
- dirk gently's holistic detective agency thesis:
I reviewed the book on October 10, 2007.
- graffiti alphabet a to z:
Back in 2006 I did an A to Z series of letter drawings in Photoshop. If you are specifically looking for graffiti fonts, check out Graffiti Creator. (Down from #2)
- moira huntly:
I reviewed Imaginative Still Life by Moira Huntly on February 22, 2008.
- the road from la cueva by sheila ortego:
I will be posting review in the next few days. I am giving away two copies on May 26th.
- "a church of her own":
I reviewed A Church of Her Own by Sarah Sentilles on May 8, 2008. (Down from 8)
Seduction by Design: 05/15/08
Sandra Brown is one of those super prolific authors. If I'm counting correctly, she's written seventy-two books. To complicate things further, she has been published under a variety of names: Rachel Ryan, Laura Jordan, Erin St. Claire and finally Sandra Brown. She's obviously most well known as Sandra Brown and many of her early novels have been republished under the name Sandra Brown. For example, the 2001 edition of Seduction by Design was originally published in 1983 and listed Erin St. Claire as the author.
Seduction by Design isn't one of Brown's better books but it is among her earliest published works. It does show hints at how she likes to play with genre expectations and cliches but in this novel she doesn't pull it off.
Hailey Ashton may be a successful business woman but the shit she puts up with from her boss is creepy and abusive. In a modern Brown novel I would expect the heroine to quit her job and get a restraining order against her boss, sue him and hook up with her lawyer but not in this one.
Then there is the added ick factor of Tyler (the boss) being a single father and using his daughter as a bargaining chip. Again, in a modern Brown novel, Hailey would probably call child protective services but not here.
I read the book cover to cover mostly for the amazement at how much Brown has improved as a writer. If you're a fan of her writing and want to read everything she's published, then go ahead and read Seduction by Design. If not, feel free to skip it.
Read the review at jmax.
books | romance | sandra brown | erin st claire
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Nettie's Trip South: 05/15/08
Nettie's Trip South by Ann Turner and illustrated by Ronald Himler is one of the most depressing children's books I've read. It's up there with Ganzy Remembers except that this book is based on the actual diary of the author's grandmother.
Nettie's Trip South covers her family trip from Albany New York to Richmond Virginia before the Civil War. The book covers her accounts of slavery and how she is sickened by watching a slave auction.
To go with Turner's chilling descriptions, Ronald Himler provides somber drawings of all the people and places Nettie sees.
Although the book is a difficult subject to read, it's a necessary one. The book is written for grades 3-5.
Read the reviews at 2008 Book Club, annettesliteratureblog, ICS Library, book blog.