Tag: reviews

Friday Fifteen

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Can you guys believe it’s already the last Friday in May? Although I can’t say I’m too upset–I’m psyched to move into June and into full-on summer weather. Let’s start the weekend with a few fifteen-word (or fewer!) book reviews:

1. Whatever Happened to Janie? by Caroline B. Cooney
Jane finds her real family, acts like a brat to them. Pre-Weasley family of redheads.

2. Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank B. Gilbreth and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
Fun memoir about a big family in early 1900s. TLC’s got nothing on the Gilbreths.

3. Brave Irene by William Steig
Irene battles winter to deliver a ball gown. Frequently read this on my own.

4. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
Interesting look at pre- and post-colonial Nigeria, but more interested in Obierika than Okonkwo.

5. The Hostile Hospital (A Series of Unfortunate Events #8) by Lemony Snicket
The VFD mystery heats up–and a reference to Clarissa Dalloway makes this one a winner.

Friday Fifteen

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So glad it’s Friday! Let’s start the long weekend with some fifteen-word (or less!) book reviews.

1. Beauty by Robin McKinley
My favorite Beauty and the Beast novel. Love that Beauty is close to her sisters.

2. The Crucible by Arthur Miller
Excellent look at society terrorized by hate, hysteria. Would ove to see a good production.

3. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton
Burton’s illustrations are fantastic, and I love a good inanimate object story.

4. Dawn’s Wicked Stepsister (The Baby-Sitters Club #31) by Ann M. Martin
Not everything’s ideal when your mom marries your BFF’s dad? Who could have foreseen this?

5. Poems on the Underground ed. by Gerard Benson, Judith Chernaik, Cicecy Herbert
Collection of classic and contemporary poetry featured on the Tube. Such a cool project!

Friday Fifteen

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Finally Friday! And a beautiful Friday here, so let’s kick the weekend off with some good ol’ fifteen-word book reviews:

1. Bee Season by Myla Goldberg
Enjoyed the first half, didn’t connect with the second–didn’t feel like the same characters.

2. Emily’s Runaway Imagination by Beverly Cleary
Made me realize there were a few Salems in the US. Some outdated racial awkwardness.

3. The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
A romantic comedy with stunningly complex characters. Portia can be cruel, Shylock can be sympathetic.

4. We Are in a Book by Mo Willems
Metafiction for the preschool set, as only Willems can do.

5. Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen
Robin Hood with a kickass lady thief? Teen Annie would have been all over this!

Friday Fifteen

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Happy Friday, everyone! It’s almost Mother’s Day, so let’s celebrate early with a few mother-themed fifteen-word book reviews:

1. Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
Quiet and sensitive novel about a mail-order bride who becomes an awesome stepmom.

2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
Mrs. Weasley wins Mom of the Year for her line “Not my daughter, you bitch!”

3. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flag
Idgie and Ruth combat racism, serve barbecue in Depression-era Alabama. Read it, immediately started rereading.

4.Matilda by Roald Dahl
Clever Matilda has a heinous family, so she forms a new family with Miss Honey.

5. Grandma Gets Grumpy by Anna Grossnickle Hines
Grandmas get upset sometimes–they were moms once, after all.

Friday Fifteen

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It’s the first Friday in May and I couldn’t be happier about it. There are flowers blooming now, guys! There are buds on trees! And (in case you’ve missed the last couple of posts), I’m psyched about heading to the NESCBWI conference. Certainly, this calls for a New England kidlit author and illustrator-themed Friday Fifteen:

1. Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola
Of course Italian grandmothers have magical powers. Whimsical and wonderful art.

2. Jumping Off Swings by Jo Knowles
Sensitive look at what it means to be a “slut” in high school.

3. Hush, Little Dragon by Boni Ashburn
Can I use the phrase “darkly adorable?” Hilarious text, awesome illustrations by Kelly Murphy.

4. One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
About hope, family, and what it means to be in foster care. Love Carley.

5. The Sneetches and Other Stories by Dr. Seuss
Only remember “The Sneetches,” but it’s way good. Seuss was from Springfield, MA, don’tcha know.

Friday Fifteen

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Happy Friday, everyone! What better way to end the week than with some fifteen-word book reviews:

1. Friends by Helme Heine
I used to love this book, especially the rooster’s rainbow tail.

2. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Just as cute and fun as everyone said. Can I study abroad in Paris?

3. Barefoot Contessa, How Easy Is That? by Ina Garten
The ones I’ve tried turned out well. Apparently Ina likes her Bolognese spicy—woohoo!

4. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
The most depressing Steinbeck book. And he wrote about dead puppies.

5. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
Not my favorite, but I like how Fanny holds it together amidst so much crazy.

Friday Fifteen

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So. It’s been the Week of Suck to end all Weeks of Suck. And here in Boston we’re currently still waiting for an end to an intense manhunt that’s been going on nearly 24 hours. But the Boston community is holding strong, so this week’s Friday Fifteen is dedicated to Boston-area writers.

1. Nature by Ralph Waldo Emerson
Great writing, but I’m more of an indoor girl.

2. Choosing a Jewish Life: A Handbook for People Converting to Judaism and for Their Family and Friends by Anita Diamant
Warm and inclusive look at conversion. Read for novel research; very interesting on its own.

3. The Ugly Vegetables by Grace Lin
How to win friends and influence people with tasty veg.

4. The Devils Arithmatic by Jane Yolen
Pretty sure I read this, but totally forgot the “time travel” and am questioning myself.

5. Drown by Junot Diaz
Read in a contemporary novel class; one of the few I really remember.

Thanks to everyone for the support and love this week! Bostonians and non-Bostonians alike, we are going to get through this.

Friday Fifteen

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Let’s kick Friday off with this week’s fifteen-word book reviews:

97800605723411. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
“Sick” was my favorite. I think I looked at the illustrations more than the poems.

2. Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis
The ultimate novel about academia. Which says it all for me.

3. Felicity Saves the Day (American Girls: Felicity #3) by Valerie Tripp
No, Ben, you can’t fight in the Revolutionary War because you already have a job!

4. The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
Sci-fi YA takes on Frankenstein. Really dug it, but felt complete; why’s there a sequel?

5. The Bad Beginning (The Series of Unfortunate Events #1) by Lemony Snicket
I liked that the Baudelaires never solved problems easily. Lots of literary fun sprinkled throughout.

Friday Fifteen

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Hey guys, it’s finally Friday! Time for some book reviews in fifteen words or less.

1. Rapunzel’s Revenge by Shannon Hale, Nathan Hale, and Dean Hale
A fun wild-west take on the fairy tale. Can see this working for reluctant readers.

2. Daughters of Eve by Lois Duncan
At thirteen I had mixed feelings about this feminist-cult book; felt very dated.

3. Faulkner in the University ed. Frederick L. Gwynn, introduction by Douglas Day
Read The Sound and the Fury, matriculating at UVA. Of course I snatched this up.

4. Stone Soup by Marcia Brown
Or “How to Host a Dinner Party Without Having to Cook.” Our 2nd grade play.

5. The Older Boy (Sweet Valley #15) by Francine Pascal
You’re sixteen and think a sixth grader looks like an average high school girl? Riiiight.

Friday Fifteen

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Happy Friday, everyone! Can you believe it’s the end of March? This month was kind of a whirlwind for me, so I’m glad to see April on its way. Let’s round out the month with some good ol’ fashioned fifteen-word book reviews.

97814197016891. Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
Expected to love this one (evil geniuses! fairies!) but couldn’t connect with the characters/world.

2. Chief O’Neill’s Sketchy Recollections of an Eventful Life in Chicago by Francis O’Neill, ed. Ellen Skerrett and Mary Lesch
Memoir by a policeman in early 1900s Chicago, who then documented Irish folk music.

3. Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss
Great rhyming early reader; but even in first grade I wondered what it all meant.

4. Greyhound of a Girl by Roddy Doyle
Doyle does MG? Awesome! Sweet and touching road trip/ghost story with four generations of women.

5. Once Upon a Time (Childcraft: the How and Why Library #4) by World Book-Childcraft International
Mostly nursery rhymes and folk tales, but a solid primer for young reader Annie.