REVIEW: Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging

Rennison, L. (1999). Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging: Confession of Georgia Nicolson. New York: HarperTempest.

0064472272

It’s hard to believe this book is already ten years old. It makes me wonder if, I too, am old. I certainly hope not.

The diaries of British teen, Georgia, are essentially a young adult version of Bridget Jones’s Diary: Often funny, occasionally insulting, always frivolous. Georgia’s humor often emerges at the expense of others, including her best friends and parents. There are also multiple jokes describing lesbianism in negative terms.

Despite these drawbacks, Rennison has managed to capture the voice of Georgia well. Although the character often feels immature for her age, she can be used to describe the ways that media and other popular narratives influence young girls. And I always end up laughing out loud. At least a little.



Activities to do with the book:

This book is best for entertainment. If a teacher were desperate to turn this series into a lesson, they could pair it with Pride and Prejudice or Emma by Jane Austen and describe how plot points commonly present in most romantic comedies were first developed by Austen.


Favorite Quotes:

“I hope you like my diary and don’t hold it against me that my great-great-great-grandparents colonized you. (Not just the two of them, obviously…)” (A Note from Georgia).

“You’re fourteen years old. You’ve only had that hair for fourteen years and you want to change it already! How bored are you going to be with it by the time you are thirty? What color will you be up to by then?” (p. 13).

“Georgia, what have you done now?” (p. 21).

“Then [my little sister] Libby said, “Yes, I am the Queen and Georgia did a big poo this morning.”
I couldn’t believe it. He [Robbie, a love interest] could not believe it. Nobody could believe it. It was unbelievable, that’s why. He stood up quickly and I said, “Er, well, I’d better be going.” (p. 64).

REVIEW: Something Wickedly Weird: The Wooden Mile

Mould, C. (2007). Something Wickedly Weird: The Wooden Mile. New York: Roaring Brook Press.

1596433833

Stanley, as the youngest living relative of his great-uncle, inherits the deceased man’s hall and all of the wackiness of the people who live in the town of Compton Rock. Stanley leaves home without his busy parents to take possession of the immense Candlestick Hall and is greeted by unusual characters and strange rules, one of which is “don’t go out after dark.”

The story includes a lot of humorous and quirky characters, including a talking fish, a mean candy-seller, and three disgruntled pirates. The pirates insist Stanley help them end the reign of a local werewolf, but Stanley soon learns that the pirates have more planned for him than that.

In terms of the writing, humor and illustrations, The Wooden Mile feels and looks a lot like A Series of Unfortunate Events, but with slightly fewer vocabulary demands. With illustrations included on every few pages, the book is a pretty fast read, building a young reader’s confidence (or providing an advanced reader with a fun break).

This book is, of course, the first in a growing series. Cause a novel can’t stand alone anymore. Ever.

Activities to do with the book:

This is a book that is probably best to be read for enjoyment. Although the series could lend itself to comparison with similarly themed books (such as A Series of Unfortunate Events) if a teacher really want to provoke a conversation. At the very least, Something Wickedly Weird could be a book recommendation for students who have finished all 13 of the Series of Unfortunate Events.

Favorite Quotes:

“This is not the very start of the story. It is simply a convenient place to begin. And you should be warned that when you delve into what has already happened and what lies ahead, you will find this a dark and twisted tale” (pp. 7-8).

“I always sleep well,” announced Stanley. “It’s the thing I do best” (p. 45).

“He couldn’t help thinking how ridiculous it seemed. Three vicious pirates, all wanting to get rid of one man—yet they needed the help of an eleven-year-old boy!” (p. 89).

REVIEW: Planet of the Dogs

McCarty, R.J. (2007). Planet of the Dogs. Barking Planet Productions.

9780978692803

Planet of the Dogs shares the story of a human world consumed by greed. To save the Earth, volunteer dogs leave their own planet and begin to improve humanity by befriending children, beginning with Daisy and Bean.

This book has the feel and language of a creation myth. Individual characters are not introduced for several chapters. All of this lends itself for the book to be read aloud.

The illustrations were detailed, but did not always match the images that I personally wanted to create for the worlds described.

The book is in moments choppy with the chapter transitions. It was also too didactic for my personal tastes. But more than anything, this book demonstrates a love for dogs and a metaphor for how they can improve people’s lives.

For more information on the book and series, you can visit www.planetofthedogs.net.

Activities to do with the book:

Since the book shares both examples of a distopia and a utopia, a teacher could encourage a discussion of what makes a society ‘good’ or ‘bad.’

Students could create their own stories in response, incorporating their own favorite species of animals as heroes.

The book could also be used to initiate a conversation on respecting dogs and other animals. Or could begin to consider how pets can help people feel happier.


Favorite Quotes:

“Our story begins, long, long ago, before there were dogs on Planet Earth” (p. 1).

“Our plan is to begin with the children. They are more open to trust, love and learning new ways than adults. We will go to Planet Earth and work with the children” (p. 6).

“We dogs are happy and help each other because love is the most important part of our lives. When you give love,” she said, “You bring out love in others. If we come to Planet Earth, and people spend time with us, there will be fewer lonely people and more happy people” (p. 10-11).

Certified Resolution Writing Endeavor Review Report: Week Twelve and a Second Self-Imposed Writing Retreat

Is it Monday already?

How'd that happen?

One of the things I love about being on break is that I lose all sense of time.  For example, I wake up, intending to start my day with writing.  Right after I finish my coffee and newspaper.  And I put in a DVD and two to four hours pass and starting my morning with writing is no longer possible, because it's no longer them morning.  Oops.

I did manage to make my weekly resolution requirements.  But not because I was working on writing the story I intend to finish.  Because I was working on a few picturebooks.  But I'll do better now.  Right?  Right.

My desire to write outweighs my fear of technology

I'm testing out creating a blog entry from my phone.

Can you imagine typing a book on your phone?

Life is too short for that.

Because it would take forever.

Even if the book was a short one.

And mine isn't.

This Is Too Good to Be Written by Me

I just found this poem on a document where I store my bad attempts at poetry.

It is totally awesome.  Like, I really love it.  

It's funny AND well written.

I have no memory of writing it.  None.  Maybe a vague flash of sitting at my computer in my old apartment, but that's it.

I can't image copying someone else's poem into a document titled "My Attempts at Poetry."  So apparently I wrote it.

Go me.

While I attempt to figure out where to submit the poem first (and a few duds along with it, since most magazines prefer to look at several poems at a time), I'm also going to google a few of the lines.  Gotta make sure the poem is all me.  Cause it seems to good.

REVIEW: Ready, Steady, Spaghetti

Broadhurst, L. (2009). Ready, Steady, Spaghetti: Cooking for kids and with kids. Kansas City: Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC.

0740780875

Ready, Steady, Spaghetti goes out of its way to be child friendly. While initially flipping through the photos of all of the recipes, I found myself looking for that meal that would make any nine-year-old (or in my case 24-year-old) go “Eww! I’m not eating that!” I didn’t find many such recipes. (The Chicken Noodle Omelet did make me wonder a little) In fact, as I looked at the meals, I found that I wished I could cook. Or that what I can cook would look like the well-lit photographed versions of these recipes. Or that my mom and dad didn’t live so far away so they could make me some of these recipes. Or that I had a professional cook who prepared all my meals, drinks and snacks. Whichever.

This family-friendly cookbook does a great job of presenting many healthy meals and quite a few treats as well. I also found it was very vegetarian friendly. Which is saying something, as few mainstream cookbooks show love to us veggie-lovers.

While the recipes range in complexity, no matter the meal, this cookbook shares photos of most of the dishes as they are in process. This prevents fools like me from having to ask the nagging question of “Did I do this right?” Still, despite the ease to use this book, it would probably still be best to have adult supervision, especially if I’m the one doing the cooking.

Favorite Recipes: Cauliflower in Cheese Sauce, Moo Juice and Chocolate-Honeycomb Mousse.

Certified Resolution Writing Endeavor Review Report: Week Eleven and a Second Self-Imposed Writing Retreat

Has it been a week already?

How'd that happen.

I managed to meet the requirements of my resolution again.  I also managed to officially finish all of my work for the quarter as well (aside from waiting for a few more students to hand in their finals), meaning I can hopefully focus completely on my reading and creative writing for the break.

For the next two weeks, I've decided to do a Self-Imposed Writing Retreat:  Part II.  This time my goal is going to be to finish a certain young adult novel that I started right before I graduated from Chatham, almost two years ago.  Speaking metaphorically, this is akin to instead of slowly moving a three-story brick building over five feet by pushing brick by brick (and only managing to push about six or seven of said bricks so far), deciding to pick up the whole building and move it myself.  No forklifts.  No silly construction workers.  Just me and my kinda-defined-in-the-right-light arm muscles.   Perhaps I'm setting myself up to fail. Perhaps I'm crazy.  But perhaps I can achieve more than I think I'm capable of.  I'm hoping so...for the achieving, not for the being crazy.

And even if I don't make it, I'm at least hoping this writing retreat will involve watching fewer DVDs and more time in front of my computer than the last one did.

Let the Self-Imposed Writing Retreat:  Part II begin!

...

...

Hmm.

...

Ooh, I forgot!  My Netflix DVD arrived yesterday.  Better watch that.  

REVIEW: The Case of the Missing Marquess

Springer, N. (2006). An Enola Holmes Mystery: The Case of the Missing Marquess.
New York: Puffin Books.

9780142409336

After her mother has gone missing, Enola Holmes must call for her two older brothers, one of whom is the famous detective Sherlock Holmes. Threatened with boarding school, Enola instead decides to escape to search for her mother. She happens upon another mystery of a ten-year-old Marquess who is missing from his home. Enola’s search for both the Marquess and her mother will take her to London where she encounters a number of different characters and dangers.

Enola’s voice feels authentic to the time period. This is both a strength and weakness of the novel. While giving it an authentic feel, it may make it harder for some readers to engage with. The text is well-researched and gives a lot of sensory details to try to bring the reader in.

The experience of British women in the late nineteenth century is central to this novel. It shows the expectations upon women and the feminist experience and search for freedom within a restrictive society. And it serves as a strong start to the series of books showing Enola's mysterious cases that have followed it.

I am nerdy enough to have grown up, believing the character of Sherlock Holmes to be downright sexy. Springer, at least for a large portion of the novel, manages to challenge this perception by having Holmes wander around encouraging pity for his young sister due to her small “cranial capacity.” His perception of women, while authentic and humorous, angered my feminist sensibilities. Which, you know, is the point.


Activities to do with the book:

There are many lessons that this book could be incorporated into, especially those involving the history of Great Britain, the women’s movement, Western thought and philosophy, the meaning and significance of flowers or exploration of Sherlock Holmes as a character.

Students could create illustrations to accompany the story. This could take the form of portraits of the characters or even studies of flowers.


Favorite Quotes:

“I would very much like to know why my mother named me “Enola,” which, backwards, spells alone. Mum was, or perhaps still is, fond of ciphers, and she must have had something in mind, whether foreboding or a sort of left-handed blessing or, already, plans, even though my father had not yet passed away” (p. 5).

“I remembered Dr. Watson’s listing of my brother’s accomplishments: scholar, chemist, superb violinist, expert marksman, swordsman, singlestick fighter, pugilist, and brilliant deductive thinker.
Then I formed a mental list of my own accomplishments: able to read, write and do sums; find birds’ nests; dig worms and catch fish; and, oh yes, ride a bicycle” (pp. 29-30).

“What on earth was he saying? That Mum had abandoned me? I sat with my mouth ajar.
“Pity the girl’s cranial capacity, Mycroft,” Sherlock murmured to his brother” (p. 49).

REVIEW: Sideways Stories from Wayside School

Sachar, L. (1978). Sideways Stories from Wayside School. New York: Avon Books.

0380698714

This is the first book in Sachar’s famous and much loved Wayside School series. While not lacking action, each chapter presents itself as a character sketch of the students and teachers on the 30th floor of Wayside School, which was accidentally built up vertically instead of the planned horizontally. Sachar (pronounced Sack-er) actually included himself as a character, Louis the yard teacher.

While this series may be best for allowing students to enjoy books that will make them laugh out loud, a teacher could also share a general lesson on metafiction and Surrealism. The teacher would be able to bring in other children’s books (such as Jumanji or Zathura by Chris Van Allsburg) that show absurd or dream-like qualities.
While I remember finding these character sketches immensely entertaining as a child (and I know I wasn’t alone) I had a very different experience reading the series as an adult and as a teacher. I remember as a child, thinking the young replacement for Mrs. Gorf was a good teacher. Reading it this time, I felt Mrs. Jewls still managed to fall short as a teacher when it came to communicating with students.

As the series go on, what initially are basic character profiles extends out into long running jokes and overlapping plots. All of the books demonstrate the fun a writer or student can have with language.
Also, this is a good series to share with undergrads studying to be educators. There are a number of commentaries about different approaches to teaching.

Scroll back up and look at the cover of the cover art of the recent edition.  Go on.  Do it.  Then scroll back down.  Now, it could just be me and my cold of doom.  But it is WAY too busy.  It gives me a headache.  I prefer the cover to the right.  Pleasant and it manages to incorporate the original cover art from the 1970s.  And no headache.  What more could a reader ask for?

Activities to do with the book:

This series is probably best to amuse middle grade readers.

However, if a teacher really wanted to do lessons with this book, he or she could lead students into a discussion of surrealism. As for activities, a teacher could encourage students to record their dreams and turn them into stories.

Also, since there are so many characters in the book, each student in a class could be assigned a character and he or she could play that character if the books were acted out or the student could write a continuation of that character’s story. Another option would be to write a story in which the student was one of the many characters.


Favorite Quotes:

“It has been said that these stories are strange and silly. That is probably true. However, when I told stories about you to the children at Wayside, they thought you were strange and silly. That is probably also true” (p. 9).

“[The student] were afraid of what their new teacher would be like. They had heard she’d be a terribly nice teacher. They had never had a nice teacher. They were terribly afraid of nice teachers” (p. 15).

“Class,” said Mrs. Jewls. “Let’s all thank Louis for his wonderful story.”
Everybody booed” (p. 124).

Certified Resolution Writing Endeavor Review Report: Week Ten

I haf a cold.

My brain iz full.

I cannot focus.

Drugz no help.

I ded manage to meet mah goal.  *Ah-choo*  But that'z cause I noticed the marjin on won of my paperz waz at .7 inch instead of at won inch.  Gained me two pajes. *Ah-choo*

Paper one:  Compleee ruf drafff.  Kinda.  *Cough*  

Paper Two:  Compleee ruf drafff.

Paper Three:  Haf not started.  Fail.  Stupid cold.  *Cough.  Cough*

Am now submeeting to magazine publisherz abroad.  Mayhap they'll a-a-*ah-choo*-ppreciate me more.

REVIEW: The Blacker the Berry

Thomas, J.C. (2008). The Blacker the Berry. New York: Joanna Cotler Books.

9780060253752

The Blacker the Berry features twelve poems written by Joyce Carol Thomas complimenting different shades of skin color and connecting those colors with similes and metaphors of foods—mostly berries.

While the actual content of the picturebook is far from tense, there is building in the sense that the final poem incorporates all of the children previously described.

Issues explored through the poems include the ideas of ‘passing’ as white, ethnic identity, connection to the past, ways of peacefully resisting negative perceptions, etc. All of these could become points to discuss with a class.

This picturebook won the Coretta Scott King Award this year for the illustrations. The pictures feature African American children with a range of skin tones in natural environments, doing a number of activities, almost always smiling. The picturebook naturalizes blackness and presents as many different skin tones as possible positively.


Activities to do with the book:

Children could write poems about their own skin color and that of their friends and loved ones and create illustrations to accompany them. A lighter writing option could be to write about favorite foods and how people resemble them in physical characteristics and personality.

A teacher can also use these poems for examples of images and metaphors.

Students could also discuss the issues presented by the poems in class or small groups as well as offer their own narratives triggered by those discussions.


Favorite Quotes:

“Day couldn’t dawn without the night
Colors, without black, couldn’t sparkle
quite so bright”

“It feels absolutely fabulous
To be this brown
Anyway, I refuse to walk too long in shadow”

“We are color struck
The way an artist strikes
His canvas with his brush of many hues”

REVIEW: Mascot to the Rescue!

David, P. (2008). Mascot to the Rescue. New York: Laura Geringer Books.

9780061349119

Mascot goes beyond lighthearted imaginative superhero play to blurring the line between Josh having imaginative fun and psychological need to help deal with his parents’ recent divorce. After trying to save a new girl, Kelsey, from some bullies, Josh learns that his favorite character, the sidekick Mascot, is going to be killed-off from the comic book series. Having such a strong connection with Mascot, Josh fears for his own life as well as the character’s and takes his new friend Kelsey on a quest to the comic book’s publisher to save Mascot and himself.

More so, Mascot explores the experience of young outsiders, developing friendships and psychological support.

While it's clear that Peter David loves comics, the overall writing of Mascot to the Rescue! is mediocre, often telling in place of showing. The story follows multiple perspectives, including those of adults. But even when in the heads of Josh or Kelsey, the narrative doesn’t quite manage to feel as though it is in a child’s voice. This could, in part, be because of the emphasis on psychological well-being.

The story also includes moments in italics when Josh falls back on pretending to be Mascot.


Activities to do with the book:

As with other superhero narratives, students could create their own superhero narratives in response, creating their own heroes, challenges and illustrations.

This book could open up discussion on how to deal with parents’ divorce, or how while imagination may be a key to dealing with all matter of issues, it still must be balanced with other outlets or therapies.

A teacher could touch on the power that literature has to influence people’s or discuss where authors get ideas for their stories.


Favorite Quotes

“What’s so wonderful about the real world anyway? So many terrible things happen. At least he’s reading! At least he’s spending his time doing something other than hanging out on the internet” (p. 17).

“And the way I figure it,” he said, holding up the latest issue, “if Mascot can get through all the stuff that he has to deal with…then I can get through all of mine” (p. 31).

“Well, we’ve got to find out.”
“How?”
“On the internet. That’s how you find out everything” (p. 44).

REVIEW: Roar of a Snore

Arnold, M.D. (2006). Roar of a Snore. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.

2004021475

In the night, Jack has trouble sleeping because the sound of somebody snoring. He begins looking for the offending snorer by waking up each member of his family.

Roar of a Snore uses unpredictable rhyme to tell the story. While the rhyme is inconsistent, it does not feel forced, which is high praise.

The illustrations include a lot of darker tones, to portray nighttime. The colors are not threatening though and encourage this book to be used as a naptime or a bedtime read.

I chose this book for personal reasons. Growing up, I always had to deal with a certain somebody’s snores keeping me awake. I must admit, I rarely handled it as well as Jack. My method of waking potential snorers often involved kicking the bed, throwing pillows, pulling an offending snorer’s sleeping bag outside while camping. In fact, those are still my methods of choice. Nobody messes with my sleep patterns! Nobody!

Activities to do with the book:

This is a good bedtime story, but a teacher could do a lesson on manners and incorporate the fact that it is rude to wake up sleeping friends and loved ones, no matter how loud the snoring.
Also a teacher could reinforce all of the vocabulary present for the various types of snores and for fun could have all the students practice making the various snoring noises.

Favorite Quotes:

“The sky was dark. The stars were bright. Each Huffle fast asleep that night.”

“Jack heard a snore. A might snore! A clamorous snore! A thundering, ear-splitting, roar of a snore!”

“Each Huffle added snuffles, huffs, wheezes, whistles, grumbles, puffs. One giant snore sailed through the night.”

Certified Resolution Writing Endeavor Review Report: Week Nine

Check.  Made it.

I must admit I did not get as much writing done as I had hoped to complete this weekend.  But I suppose having all three of my final papers and two novels magically done, printed and waiting for me on my front step with the morning paper was a bit much to hope for.

I do have some kinda-sorta-maybe good news to report.  This weekend, I got an email stating two poems that I had submitted to a magazine have been moved along to "further consideration" by the editors.  I submitted the poems in October.  I share this with you as a cautionary reminder that a response time of months and months is not unusual.  I also share this because all wanna be (gonna be!) writers/artists also share in the eventuality that personalized rejections, or "we're not rejecting you quite yet" deferrals are considered a wonderful achievement. So, kinda-yay!

Okay, I'm off to slack and maybe, just maybe, I'm going to try to write another paragraph or two of one of my three painful papers.