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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
Loved this book. I saw the stage adaptation at Calvin College last year (where Schmidt teaches). Even knowing the story, I still enjoyed the book!
Here's a Juvinile Fiction that adults will find tender and inspiring, and kids won't find. It's written on an easier to read level but is missing the thrill of fantasy the younger set seeks. I however, at 65, enjoyed the heck out of it. 7th grade for Holling Hoodhood started out rough, and ended with some fun memories, some wins, and some losses, and 4 or 5 volumes of Shakespear under his belt. I don't believ I read a full play until I was a full adult! Anyway, adults will like the story. I don't think kids will read it. Maybe they'll sit quietly while it's read to them though.
challenging
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
funny
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Did not get any of the references as a 2004 baby
From start to finish this was an enjoyable read easy to recommend to any tween or middle schooler. It's told by a seventh grader, and maybe that's why I enjoyed it so much, because I can picture one of my library helpers telling the story. It's also got some historical stuff as well as Shakespeare! It's more than a good read. Can't recommend it enough.
I NEVER would have picked this one up based on the description. Holy beans, this book starts off slow and builds and builds and builds to an incredible crescendo. Books (for me) are about relationships and growth, and this one did an exceptional job with Holling and his friends, teachers, and family members.
The funniest book I've read in years. I can't get some images out of my mind, like the cream puffs sitting on the windowsill (you'll have to read to find out what happens, but trust me you don't want to eat them!), or the character Holling racing across town in yellow tights and a cape.
Having Holling as the narrator (Schmidt choosing first person rather than omniscient) took the book from an average school story to a memorable narrative. For example, I like that as Holling's relationship with Mrs. Baker (his teacher) grew, he described her very differently physically. He sees her old and average (and therefore that's how I thought she looked) when he doesn't like her, and she gets younger as they become friends. I kept readjusting my mental pictures based on Holling's narration, and I liked that touch.
Having Holling as the narrator (Schmidt choosing first person rather than omniscient) took the book from an average school story to a memorable narrative. For example, I like that as Holling's relationship with Mrs. Baker (his teacher) grew, he described her very differently physically. He sees her old and average (and therefore that's how I thought she looked) when he doesn't like her, and she gets younger as they become friends. I kept readjusting my mental pictures based on Holling's narration, and I liked that touch.
Ugh, this pair of books was so good. I read Okay for Now first, and did not love this one quite as much, but it had all the same qualities that made Okay for Now one of my favorite books of 2016. I meant to pick this one up soon after reading that one, but life gets in the way. I needed a bit of a real-world-themed reset after reading a dozen magical mystery books on my vacation, and every other Book of Literary Merit on my TBR pile felt too long and too weighty. This was a good reentry point.
I got a little nervous at the beginning, because Holling's assertion that Mrs. Baker hates him felt a little too justified, and I squirm when exposed to high levels of injustice. I had to skim most of the chapter about the school board meeting to select the architecture firm because I could see where that was going and it was the stuff of ugly 1970s sit-coms. These are the reasons this book lost the fourth star, but:
But ultimately, nothing turns out exactly like you think, and no single person is exactly what they seem. Schmidt's ability to give his characters - ALL of them - real dimension and growth is what makes the man an absolute genius.
I got a little nervous at the beginning, because Holling's assertion that Mrs. Baker hates him felt a little too justified, and I squirm when exposed to high levels of injustice. I had to skim most of the chapter about the school board meeting to select the architecture firm because I could see where that was going and it was the stuff of ugly 1970s sit-coms. These are the reasons this book lost the fourth star, but:
But ultimately, nothing turns out exactly like you think, and no single person is exactly what they seem. Schmidt's ability to give his characters - ALL of them - real dimension and growth is what makes the man an absolute genius.
This book is so beautifully written and wonderfully connected to Shakespeare. READ IT!