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3.41 AVERAGE
3.41 AVERAGE
Sadly, not a fan. This is two books in a row of hers that have left me a bit cold.
listening to, actually. love this author - a sophisticated kids author who never talks down to kids.
4.0
Initial thoughts:
1. E.L. Konigsburgs's writing style reminded me of John Greens.
2. All of the characters acted very strangely. Their interactions with each other as well as their dialogue patterns.
3. Mrs. Zender reminded me of Holly Golightly. (This could be due to the fact that I recently watched it, so I was making connections.)
4. The story surrounding the art and the Nazi Occupation was very moving and I really enjoyed the characters from that part of the novel.
5. It was full of heart.
6. I read this in two days, so I would say that this is very fast paced. I highly enjoyed that.
Overall I enjoyed it, and I might pick more of E.L. Konigsburg's work in the future.
Initial thoughts:
1. E.L. Konigsburgs's writing style reminded me of John Greens.
2. All of the characters acted very strangely. Their interactions with each other as well as their dialogue patterns.
3. Mrs. Zender reminded me of Holly Golightly. (This could be due to the fact that I recently watched it, so I was making connections.)
4. The story surrounding the art and the Nazi Occupation was very moving and I really enjoyed the characters from that part of the novel.
5. It was full of heart.
6. I read this in two days, so I would say that this is very fast paced. I highly enjoyed that.
Overall I enjoyed it, and I might pick more of E.L. Konigsburg's work in the future.
I love pretty much everything by Konigsburg. Her books are generally very different from one another, but this one recalled "Mixed-Up Files" very vividly, without being a rewrite. It was fun to remember Claudia and Jaime's adventure while learning a lot more about art history in this story.
Favorite phrase (which emphasizes Konigsburg's brilliance): The underarm seam of her kimono was split. Mrs. Zender was not a natural blonde.
Besides being witty, this book deals with several weighty themes:
-Nazi Germany, specifically the destruction of "undesirable" art during WWII;
-A boy who craves fame and friendship equally, and has to decide which is more important;
-Growing old and all the issues that come with it;
-Poverty and wealth, and some of the issues that come with those
I crave a simple, tied-up ending in a YA novel, and I didn't get that here, but after my initial disappointment, I remembered that it's okay for the author to make me think deeply about a few things at the end, and she did.
Favorite phrase (which emphasizes Konigsburg's brilliance): The underarm seam of her kimono was split. Mrs. Zender was not a natural blonde.
Besides being witty, this book deals with several weighty themes:
-Nazi Germany, specifically the destruction of "undesirable" art during WWII;
-A boy who craves fame and friendship equally, and has to decide which is more important;
-Growing old and all the issues that come with it;
-Poverty and wealth, and some of the issues that come with those
I crave a simple, tied-up ending in a YA novel, and I didn't get that here, but after my initial disappointment, I remembered that it's okay for the author to make me think deeply about a few things at the end, and she did.
I loved it! This Konigsberg book dealt with Nazis stealing art and labeling Modern Art as "entartete," meaning "degenerate," and how these artworks are slowly being restored to their proper owners and place in art history. I only learned about all this during my Art in 20th Century Europe class in my sophomore year. If I had children, I would totally read this book with them and discuss all the different things that are presented. Brilliant! I love how Konigsberg takes major things from the art world and makes it accessible to children... I mean, who didn't love "From the Mixed-Up files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" and all the adventure-filled corners of the Metropolitan??
I liked this book a lot, but I don't think it has a great amount of appeal for kids. I think it could be an interesting read-aloud for fifth or sixth graders--or a class reading project. I think it could lead to a lot of interesting discussions about the Holocaust, about art and society, about preteens and adults, and mothers and fathers. Konigsburg has a very interesting story here, and it's told from many points of view, like The View from Saturday. The characters are strong, but as usual with her books, the kids are not kid-like.
I have always enjoyed Konigsburg's books. This one was no exception. The art and history intrigued me and made me want to find out more. I had not heard of the Munich Degenerate exhibit.
This book was a Junior Library Guild selection so was sent to our elementary library, but as I read it I wondered how many under 12 students would actually enjoy it though. It seems to be written for young adults or actually adults.
This book was a Junior Library Guild selection so was sent to our elementary library, but as I read it I wondered how many under 12 students would actually enjoy it though. It seems to be written for young adults or actually adults.
challenging
emotional
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes