Books! Super Short Reviews

I'm just one year away from getting my license in elementary education. So, this summer I am going to spend ample amounts of time reading children and teen's literature! I also have a taste for weird books as well. I will reviewing the good books I've read from time to time in this here blog:

A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
A girl (in 1937) goes down south to live with her grandma for a year. I loved this book-very unpredictable and funny.

Coraline by Neil Gaimen
(Just came out in theaters). I liked this book and I liked the ending in the book better. This book didn't have the little boy that tries to befriend Coraline, she doesn't fall asleep in the other house and wake up in her own house each night, and the two old ladies don't have a million stuffed Scotties (if I'm recalling accurately).

The Collection of Alison Dare, Little Miss Adventures by J. Torres (graphic novel)
A nice look at a different part of the world, while not relying on cliches but defusing them. A lot of vocab/foreign words that children might be unfamiliar with are introduced.

Autobiography of My Dead Brother Myers
Black characters in a city where gangs and poverty are present. Has pictures from the main character's sketchbook. The beginning and ending come full circle.

The Little Endless Storybook by Jill Thompson
This storybook is apparently based on Neil Gaiman's Sandman characters, which I haven't read yet (I'm putting basically the entire catalog of Gaiman on my summer reading list). I love, love Thompson's art! She also did a book called Magic Trixie, that's somewhat similar.

Days Like This J. Torres
A graphic novel on the rise of a girl group in the 60s (50s?). I love the Ronnettes, the Shirelles, etc. so I liked reading this :)

Bridge to Terabithia Paterson
A book about living in a small town, friendship between a girl and a boy and death.

What the World Eats Menzel and D'aluisio
Lots of photographs of families around the world and what they eat for a week, how much it costs, etc. Includes profiles on the families and a family recipe.

Children's Picture Books Review

Now since I'm an elementary education major (emphasis in Communication Arts/Reading/writing/yadayda) as well as an avid reader, I will occasionally review books (children, teen, fiction, etc.) from time to time.

Today, I went to my local library, picked up two books I had on hold (I will most likely talk about those in a later entry, after I have read them of course) and then I went the kids picture book section and just grabbed a bunch of random picture books.

I grabbed about 7 or 8 hardback picture books but I only truly enjoyed four of them. The others that didn't make the cut were either boring, a little bit too weird, or had a not so very interesting or satisfying ending. I won't be reviewing the ones I didn't like :P



Blue Burt and Wiggles by Derek Anderson.

I grabbed this book because the cover looked kind of like it could be a dvd cover for a Pixar movie. On an interesting side note, the author/illustrator is from Minnesota (my state!)

The art and perspective is awesome in this book, I just love the artwork. I sometimes believe that the artwork can really make or break a picture book. A lot of the stories in kids' books are sometimes quite simplistic (obviously) about ordinary stuff, told in the same way as it's been told dozens upon dozens of times before.

While this story is about a friend moving away, it's told in a very creative, fun, new way.

This is a story about a bird (Burt) and his friend, Wiggles (worm). Winter is coming soon and Burt needs to fly away. They both scheme up a plan to make summer stay so therefore, Burt can stay and hang out with Wiggles. The way they scheme and plot and how the other animals in the forest unintentionally wreck havoc onto their plans is hilarious.

This is a very contemporary book and even the story would make a good Pixar short.

More picture book reviews later!