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From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
4.0
Claudia and Jamie Kincaid are not running away from something -- but running TO something -- in this case, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Claudia, the mastermind of the escapade has written a good bye letter to her parents, persuaded her younger brother to join her and has headed off on the adventure of her life. The encounter has them sleeping in ancient royal beds, bathing in fountains and hiding in bathroom stalls. Along the way the come face to face with Angel, a recently donated statue to the museum, believed by many to be a lost work of Michelangelo. They are determined to find out if the rumors are true.
This was our mother/daughter book choice for March. I’m sad to admit that my daughter gave up after chapter two. In her defense, I could see where this book may be advance for some readers (like my daughter!). The author uses third person narration that was confusing at times, and some of the dialogue and vocabulary was more than she may be used to reading. I should have been more willing to read it to her, but she seemed determined to be done with it, so I didn’t want to be belligerent about it. I want book group to be a fun experience, not something that is forced on her. Once she got there and all the other girls had read it, I think she regretted not putting forth more effort. That’s the kind of peer pressure I appreciate and it will have more of an influence than my nagging!
I, however, did finish the book and I thought it was delightful. Jamie and Claudia were intuitive, imaginative, industrious and FRUGAL! I loved how they worked together to navigate this “adventure.” Their dialogue was pitch perfect older sister/younger brother banter. On the other hand, as a parent, I was infuriated at these kids for ignoring the anguish and misery their parents must be experiencing. I wanted to ring their necks on more than one occasion during this book.
Every month I hold my breath thinking this will be the last book group because moms/girls are going to drop out. But every month I’m surprised that pairs show up and are excited and energetic about the questions and discussion. We did have one mother/daughter pair drop out this week, but our group of 8 managed just fine.
Our April book is The 1st Nancy Drew – The Secret of the Lost Clock.
This was our mother/daughter book choice for March. I’m sad to admit that my daughter gave up after chapter two. In her defense, I could see where this book may be advance for some readers (like my daughter!). The author uses third person narration that was confusing at times, and some of the dialogue and vocabulary was more than she may be used to reading. I should have been more willing to read it to her, but she seemed determined to be done with it, so I didn’t want to be belligerent about it. I want book group to be a fun experience, not something that is forced on her. Once she got there and all the other girls had read it, I think she regretted not putting forth more effort. That’s the kind of peer pressure I appreciate and it will have more of an influence than my nagging!
I, however, did finish the book and I thought it was delightful. Jamie and Claudia were intuitive, imaginative, industrious and FRUGAL! I loved how they worked together to navigate this “adventure.” Their dialogue was pitch perfect older sister/younger brother banter. On the other hand, as a parent, I was infuriated at these kids for ignoring the anguish and misery their parents must be experiencing. I wanted to ring their necks on more than one occasion during this book.
Every month I hold my breath thinking this will be the last book group because moms/girls are going to drop out. But every month I’m surprised that pairs show up and are excited and energetic about the questions and discussion. We did have one mother/daughter pair drop out this week, but our group of 8 managed just fine.
Our April book is The 1st Nancy Drew – The Secret of the Lost Clock.
The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister
3.0
My first “foodie” book was Like Water for Chocolate. It literally changed my life.
I certainly wasn’t expecting to have the same reaction after reading The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister, luckily for me, it is sometimes good not to have expectations.
Lillian’s cooking class has attracted eight eager students – all searching for something other than food – a way to find one’s self again after being a stay at home mom, a way to heal after losing your soul mate to cancer, a way to mend past transgressions. Over the course of their cooking studies they learn more about themselves and the food they are preparing.
This was a quaint novel. Nothing dramatic, nothing earth shattering. No profound life changing affect like the aforementioned book. It was quick and easy – something I needed for a vacation read. One problem I did have with her writing style – the complete overuse of metaphors and similes. Literally, every other sentence was like this, “…something she couldn’t quite identify, deep and mysterious, like perfume lingering in the folds of a cashmere scarf.” Lovely if used sparingly, but not every sentence in every paragraph! Her imagery was charming, but bordered on over-kill.
Most foodie novels contain recipes, this one does not. So if that is a requirement for your tastes, I would move on to another book.
I’m still a lover of food lit – and this is a passable contribution to the genre. But I would stick with Like Water for Chocolate or Chocolat any day.
I certainly wasn’t expecting to have the same reaction after reading The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister, luckily for me, it is sometimes good not to have expectations.
Lillian’s cooking class has attracted eight eager students – all searching for something other than food – a way to find one’s self again after being a stay at home mom, a way to heal after losing your soul mate to cancer, a way to mend past transgressions. Over the course of their cooking studies they learn more about themselves and the food they are preparing.
This was a quaint novel. Nothing dramatic, nothing earth shattering. No profound life changing affect like the aforementioned book. It was quick and easy – something I needed for a vacation read. One problem I did have with her writing style – the complete overuse of metaphors and similes. Literally, every other sentence was like this, “…something she couldn’t quite identify, deep and mysterious, like perfume lingering in the folds of a cashmere scarf.” Lovely if used sparingly, but not every sentence in every paragraph! Her imagery was charming, but bordered on over-kill.
Most foodie novels contain recipes, this one does not. So if that is a requirement for your tastes, I would move on to another book.
I’m still a lover of food lit – and this is a passable contribution to the genre. But I would stick with Like Water for Chocolate or Chocolat any day.
Lift by Kelly Corrigan
4.0
I don’t normally drool over writers – there are some that I like more than others, but if they were in a café where I was eating, I would think, “Ah, there is so-and-so” and go on my merry way. None of that applies to Kelly Corrigan. If she were in a café, I would do something stupid enough to get myself noticed so I could meet her. I love her that much. She is fresh, she is honest, when she drops the F bomb she sounds really cool, she yells at her kids and admits it, she survived cancer, and her husband is from Arkansas – that in and of itself seals the deal. Yes, she is who I want for my next best friend and I will read every word she writes for the rest of my life.
I loved her 1st book – The Middle Place – her memoir about cancer, family, husband and children. Her latest release is not so much a book, but a letter to her daughters called, Lift. It can be read in one sitting. A brief, but powerful message from a mother to her daughters about things they will never remember about growing up. It’s a perfect size to be kept in your purse, so on really bad mother days - -you could pull it out and reference it and say, “Kelly’s been thru the same thing!”
I adored this “amuse bouche” of a book. A perfect way to remind me that my kids will survive my rants and may even thrive with me as their mother!
I loved her 1st book – The Middle Place – her memoir about cancer, family, husband and children. Her latest release is not so much a book, but a letter to her daughters called, Lift. It can be read in one sitting. A brief, but powerful message from a mother to her daughters about things they will never remember about growing up. It’s a perfect size to be kept in your purse, so on really bad mother days - -you could pull it out and reference it and say, “Kelly’s been thru the same thing!”
I adored this “amuse bouche” of a book. A perfect way to remind me that my kids will survive my rants and may even thrive with me as their mother!
The Wives of Henry Oades by Johanna Moran
2.0
If I’m ever abducted by Maori natives in New Zealand, my husband better spend more than one or two fictional page looking for me!
Henry Oades has moved his family from England to New Zealand and wife Martha is none too excited to be living in Oz. Once there, out of nowhere, she and her children are abducted by Maoris – something the reader is supposed to innately understand, because author, Johanna Moran, has offered NO historical background for why these natives would do such a thing, other than the assumption that it is commonplace -- or to carry out the stereotype: white man = good; natives = bad. From there Henry puts forth what reads like a feeble search, gives up, then boats himself off to American. Meanwhile, Martha, survives the abduction, becomes a respected midwife, and is released, all within a few pages. Henry re-marries Nancy; Martha finds her way to California, and believe it or not, finds Henry and his new wife. Thus ensues a very awkward love triangle, a community that is accusing them of bigamy, and worse – that they are MORMONS!
The first 30 pages of this book were really good and intrigued me. But soon thereafter, the wheels came off the bus. None of the situations seemed adequately developed; the transitions between the abduction, the search, Henry’s relocation, Martha’s captivity and release were abrupt and left me thinking, “huh?” I never once felt anything for these characters – except possibly Martha. You had to have sympathy for someone who has been abducted, escaped, crossed the ocean, only to learn that her husband is married to another woman. And to make matters worse, her husband doesn’t even seem to care that she is alive. Nancy, Henry’s newest wife, was whiny and annoying. Why Martha didn’t slap her from the onset still baffles me.
The legal battles the Oades had to fight at the end of the book were equally awkward. With Henry facing trial AGAIN for bigamy (isn’t double jeopardy a constitutional right even then?), the attorneys argue, cross examine, the judge rules, and Henry’s future is decided all in 2 pages. Surely the author could have spent more time developing this crucial scene. After reading this passage my first thought was, “that sure was easy.”
The Wives on Henry Oades was a disappointing read. That’s the best I can do for this book.
Henry Oades has moved his family from England to New Zealand and wife Martha is none too excited to be living in Oz. Once there, out of nowhere, she and her children are abducted by Maoris – something the reader is supposed to innately understand, because author, Johanna Moran, has offered NO historical background for why these natives would do such a thing, other than the assumption that it is commonplace -- or to carry out the stereotype: white man = good; natives = bad. From there Henry puts forth what reads like a feeble search, gives up, then boats himself off to American. Meanwhile, Martha, survives the abduction, becomes a respected midwife, and is released, all within a few pages. Henry re-marries Nancy; Martha finds her way to California, and believe it or not, finds Henry and his new wife. Thus ensues a very awkward love triangle, a community that is accusing them of bigamy, and worse – that they are MORMONS!
The first 30 pages of this book were really good and intrigued me. But soon thereafter, the wheels came off the bus. None of the situations seemed adequately developed; the transitions between the abduction, the search, Henry’s relocation, Martha’s captivity and release were abrupt and left me thinking, “huh?” I never once felt anything for these characters – except possibly Martha. You had to have sympathy for someone who has been abducted, escaped, crossed the ocean, only to learn that her husband is married to another woman. And to make matters worse, her husband doesn’t even seem to care that she is alive. Nancy, Henry’s newest wife, was whiny and annoying. Why Martha didn’t slap her from the onset still baffles me.
The legal battles the Oades had to fight at the end of the book were equally awkward. With Henry facing trial AGAIN for bigamy (isn’t double jeopardy a constitutional right even then?), the attorneys argue, cross examine, the judge rules, and Henry’s future is decided all in 2 pages. Surely the author could have spent more time developing this crucial scene. After reading this passage my first thought was, “that sure was easy.”
The Wives on Henry Oades was a disappointing read. That’s the best I can do for this book.
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
3.0
Reviewed by my husband!!
Most times I would rather watch the movie than read the book (I know – sacrilege!) and then if the movie is good I will have the best intentions to go back and read the book but 9 times out of 10 I will not. I always tease my wife about starting a Book Club for men where we pick a book and instead of reading it we would watch the movie remake instead. Any husbands out there want to start? I digress. Anyway, I will confess that I have only read a few books since my dearly beloved Harry Potter series ended with a flourish of warm fuzzes in Deathly Hallows. It was very hard to pick up a book or a book series that so completely captured my imagination that I had completely lost interest in reading. I tried Wally Lamb (one of my favorites) but it is still on the shelf. I read a great book about the Southern Italian Mafia – but non-fiction doesn’t count. So when my wife said she did not have the time to read Percy Jackson and the Olympians – The Lighting Thief – to see if it were appropriate for our 9 year old to read, I reluctantly agreed.
First let me say, Percy ain’t no Harry and Rick Riordan ain’t no J.K. but I reluctantly enjoyed the book. Mr. Riordan creates a world that seems real – one that could co-exist within our own reality – something that Hogwarts does not. As Percy learns of his true identity with the aid of his friend Grover, the historic framework of the Greek gods and a possible scenario of how they are more than just myths and how their actual existence could explain many current events were intriguing to me. Yes, this is Juvenile literature but one with a sophisticated edge. Could the Greek gods be just that, Gods? Of course the more you think about it the more farfetched it becomes, but if you let down your BSmeter just for a little while, Mr. Riordan weaves some interesting theories about the continued existence of Zeus and his brothers and sisters.
This cross country adventure is not without its faults. At times it is too cinematic (and no, I have not seen the movie). Too often when filmmakers use real places and they take license to manipulate the reality of those real places, it becomes harder to believe. Let me just say the scene in the St. Louis Arch is a little farfetched – even for a filmmaker. I also wished that I had a better grasp of the Greek gods and heroes. I think a refresher course (or an introductory course for younger readers) would only make this book more enjoyable and even culturally stimulating – for older or younger readers. I remember enjoying D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths as a youth and will be having my father send it to me so my daughter can be a bit more familiar with some of the mythology that is introduced.
There is one event in the book that, even though it is resolved to the good in the end, may be a bit disturbing for young readers. So, without spoiling it for you, why don’t you read it too before you let the young one read it? You will enjoy it. I am off to start #2 – The Sea Monsters. Don’t worry Harry, I still like you better – but I can read again!
Most times I would rather watch the movie than read the book (I know – sacrilege!) and then if the movie is good I will have the best intentions to go back and read the book but 9 times out of 10 I will not. I always tease my wife about starting a Book Club for men where we pick a book and instead of reading it we would watch the movie remake instead. Any husbands out there want to start? I digress. Anyway, I will confess that I have only read a few books since my dearly beloved Harry Potter series ended with a flourish of warm fuzzes in Deathly Hallows. It was very hard to pick up a book or a book series that so completely captured my imagination that I had completely lost interest in reading. I tried Wally Lamb (one of my favorites) but it is still on the shelf. I read a great book about the Southern Italian Mafia – but non-fiction doesn’t count. So when my wife said she did not have the time to read Percy Jackson and the Olympians – The Lighting Thief – to see if it were appropriate for our 9 year old to read, I reluctantly agreed.
First let me say, Percy ain’t no Harry and Rick Riordan ain’t no J.K. but I reluctantly enjoyed the book. Mr. Riordan creates a world that seems real – one that could co-exist within our own reality – something that Hogwarts does not. As Percy learns of his true identity with the aid of his friend Grover, the historic framework of the Greek gods and a possible scenario of how they are more than just myths and how their actual existence could explain many current events were intriguing to me. Yes, this is Juvenile literature but one with a sophisticated edge. Could the Greek gods be just that, Gods? Of course the more you think about it the more farfetched it becomes, but if you let down your BSmeter just for a little while, Mr. Riordan weaves some interesting theories about the continued existence of Zeus and his brothers and sisters.
This cross country adventure is not without its faults. At times it is too cinematic (and no, I have not seen the movie). Too often when filmmakers use real places and they take license to manipulate the reality of those real places, it becomes harder to believe. Let me just say the scene in the St. Louis Arch is a little farfetched – even for a filmmaker. I also wished that I had a better grasp of the Greek gods and heroes. I think a refresher course (or an introductory course for younger readers) would only make this book more enjoyable and even culturally stimulating – for older or younger readers. I remember enjoying D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths as a youth and will be having my father send it to me so my daughter can be a bit more familiar with some of the mythology that is introduced.
There is one event in the book that, even though it is resolved to the good in the end, may be a bit disturbing for young readers. So, without spoiling it for you, why don’t you read it too before you let the young one read it? You will enjoy it. I am off to start #2 – The Sea Monsters. Don’t worry Harry, I still like you better – but I can read again!
The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene
2.0
This was our mother/daughter book choice this month. Of all the books we've read together, this one I liked the least. It was like one never ending mystery cliche. The girls loved it, so that is really all that matters.
Glorious by Bernice L. McFadden
3.0
http://gerberadaisydiaries.blogspot.com/2010/04/book-review-glorious.html
One thing I’ve learned from reading Bernice McFadden’s works – she doesn’t write about bunnies, rainbows or cotton candy: She takes you to the bottom of the well, lets you roll around in the muck, leaves you waiting for a life line, then brings you back up slowly, so at the end, you will be desperate for sunshine.
In Glorious, Easter Bartlett travels a similar journey – one full of racial hatred and brutality – all the while searching for sunshine. After surviving a brutal childhood and traversing the South and other transitory destinations, she arrives in Harlem at the dawn of the Harlem Renaissance, where her writing talent is discovered and revered by other literary giants of the times. Ultimately, her talent is used against her, and Easter’s future is forever altered. In the twilight of her life, she returns to the pre-Civil Rights South, in hopes that past injustices will be rectified.
Bernice McFadden is a beautiful writer. I was transported back to Harlem and could touch the brownstone buildings and smell the earthiness of the streets. Early in the book, her description of a lynching was so vivid, it brought tears to my eyes. However, I had a hard time connecting with some of the characters. Easter was never tangible to me. I understood her pain, but never felt it. Easter’s relationships with many of the other characters were equally distant. And the love triangle between Rain, Meredith and herself was uncomfortable for me. I just didn’t get it. Also, I loved Easter’s time in Harlem – I loved learning more about the leaders of that era. I just wish there had been more of it.
Finally, Bernice really hit stride at the close of the book. Easter’s final years, after her return to the South, are truly poetic.
Once again, white-literary revisionist history has been turned upside down, thanks to Bernice McFadden – and she does a Glorious job.
Sensitive reader: Contains graphic sexual and racial violence; homosexual situations as well.
Book source: received a copy from the author (was not paid or supplemented in any way for my review).
One thing I’ve learned from reading Bernice McFadden’s works – she doesn’t write about bunnies, rainbows or cotton candy: She takes you to the bottom of the well, lets you roll around in the muck, leaves you waiting for a life line, then brings you back up slowly, so at the end, you will be desperate for sunshine.
In Glorious, Easter Bartlett travels a similar journey – one full of racial hatred and brutality – all the while searching for sunshine. After surviving a brutal childhood and traversing the South and other transitory destinations, she arrives in Harlem at the dawn of the Harlem Renaissance, where her writing talent is discovered and revered by other literary giants of the times. Ultimately, her talent is used against her, and Easter’s future is forever altered. In the twilight of her life, she returns to the pre-Civil Rights South, in hopes that past injustices will be rectified.
Bernice McFadden is a beautiful writer. I was transported back to Harlem and could touch the brownstone buildings and smell the earthiness of the streets. Early in the book, her description of a lynching was so vivid, it brought tears to my eyes. However, I had a hard time connecting with some of the characters. Easter was never tangible to me. I understood her pain, but never felt it. Easter’s relationships with many of the other characters were equally distant. And the love triangle between Rain, Meredith and herself was uncomfortable for me. I just didn’t get it. Also, I loved Easter’s time in Harlem – I loved learning more about the leaders of that era. I just wish there had been more of it.
Finally, Bernice really hit stride at the close of the book. Easter’s final years, after her return to the South, are truly poetic.
Once again, white-literary revisionist history has been turned upside down, thanks to Bernice McFadden – and she does a Glorious job.
Sensitive reader: Contains graphic sexual and racial violence; homosexual situations as well.
Book source: received a copy from the author (was not paid or supplemented in any way for my review).
The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
5.0
http://gerberadaisydiaries.blogspot.com/2010/05/book-review-wednesday-wars.html
Toads, beetles, bats…
Gotta love a kid who learns to swear from Shakespeare.
But Holling Hoodhood (blame his ever insensitive parents for that name) learns that and so much more at Camillo Junior High School on Long Island, New York.
Holling is the kind of kid who isn’t quite cool enough to keep the bullies away, but well rounded enough to accept his 7th grade teachers recommendation that they study Shakespeare, accepts the part of Ariel in The Tempest and save his sister from getting hit by a bus, although, I’m sure he thought twice about it. He is a kid who loves the Yankees, but when snubbed by Mickey Mantle because his was wearing yellow tights, his friends come to his rescue and turn on the baseball superstar. Young love in Jr High isn’t easy either – when an interest develops between Holling and Meryl Lee (the daughter of Mr. Hoodhood’s chief business competition in town) things become complicated when their parents profession nearly dooms them, in true Romeo & Juliet style. And then there is Mrs. Baker – the teacher who coaches, edifies, trains, tutors, and inspires Holling to search for the man he will become.
There isn’t much more than I can say but, I LOVED THIS BOOK!! Every word, every scene, every conflict, every emotion. Every step Holling takes to look beyond himself and the world around him -- to his friends, to his sister, to school work, to the Vietnam conflict – was a joy to read. It was witty, thoughtful, poignant, and nostalgic.
If there is such a thing as a 7th grade Renaissance Man, Holling Hoodhood has it nailed.
Toads, beetles, bats…
Gotta love a kid who learns to swear from Shakespeare.
But Holling Hoodhood (blame his ever insensitive parents for that name) learns that and so much more at Camillo Junior High School on Long Island, New York.
Holling is the kind of kid who isn’t quite cool enough to keep the bullies away, but well rounded enough to accept his 7th grade teachers recommendation that they study Shakespeare, accepts the part of Ariel in The Tempest and save his sister from getting hit by a bus, although, I’m sure he thought twice about it. He is a kid who loves the Yankees, but when snubbed by Mickey Mantle because his was wearing yellow tights, his friends come to his rescue and turn on the baseball superstar. Young love in Jr High isn’t easy either – when an interest develops between Holling and Meryl Lee (the daughter of Mr. Hoodhood’s chief business competition in town) things become complicated when their parents profession nearly dooms them, in true Romeo & Juliet style. And then there is Mrs. Baker – the teacher who coaches, edifies, trains, tutors, and inspires Holling to search for the man he will become.
There isn’t much more than I can say but, I LOVED THIS BOOK!! Every word, every scene, every conflict, every emotion. Every step Holling takes to look beyond himself and the world around him -- to his friends, to his sister, to school work, to the Vietnam conflict – was a joy to read. It was witty, thoughtful, poignant, and nostalgic.
If there is such a thing as a 7th grade Renaissance Man, Holling Hoodhood has it nailed.
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
5.0
http://gerberadaisydiaries.blogspot.com/2010/05/book-review-one-crazy-summer.html
Not since the March sisters have I enjoyed a set of siblings as much as I did Delphine, Vonetta and Fern in Rita Williams-Garcia’s One Crazy Summer.
Delphine is in charge of caring for her younger siblings as they travel across the country to visit their mother, Cecile, who abandoned them when Fern (the youngest) was an infant. Dreaming that their trip to California will be full of movie stars and trips to Disneyland, the girls are rudely awakened when their mother wants nothing to do with them and turns them loose to fend for themselves. Instead of a magical reunion, the sisters spend their days at the Black Panther summer camp where they are “taught” and fed for 4 weeks. When their Mother and two Black Panther militants are arrested, the girls truly learn about their mother and why she left so many years ago.
This was an absolutely delightful book. The dynamics between the sisters and the “rolls” they played were entertaining and complicated: Delphine – mother hen and mature beyond her 11 years, yearns for friends and childhood experiences; Vonetta is the attention seeker and the attentions he seeks often brings discord; and “Little Girl” Fern who can’t go anywhere without her Miss Patty Cake doll (who is a character in and of itself) but wants to be grown up too. Not having sisters myself, I’m unsure how sisters interact, but Ms. Williams-Garcia convinced me that all sisters are equally amusing, complex, argumentative and joyful as these three.
With their Mother’s self imposed absence, the girls must create a community with the teachers and other children at summer camp. They experience firsthand the racial tension and conflict of 60s. They are truly cared for by this “village” of people while on their 4 week vacation. Finally, with their “dream vacation” about to end, the girls and their Mother begin to learn and understand more fully what it’s like to be mother and daughters.
One Crazy Summer will light up your heart and make you want to squeeze your kids just that much tighter.
Not since the March sisters have I enjoyed a set of siblings as much as I did Delphine, Vonetta and Fern in Rita Williams-Garcia’s One Crazy Summer.
Delphine is in charge of caring for her younger siblings as they travel across the country to visit their mother, Cecile, who abandoned them when Fern (the youngest) was an infant. Dreaming that their trip to California will be full of movie stars and trips to Disneyland, the girls are rudely awakened when their mother wants nothing to do with them and turns them loose to fend for themselves. Instead of a magical reunion, the sisters spend their days at the Black Panther summer camp where they are “taught” and fed for 4 weeks. When their Mother and two Black Panther militants are arrested, the girls truly learn about their mother and why she left so many years ago.
This was an absolutely delightful book. The dynamics between the sisters and the “rolls” they played were entertaining and complicated: Delphine – mother hen and mature beyond her 11 years, yearns for friends and childhood experiences; Vonetta is the attention seeker and the attentions he seeks often brings discord; and “Little Girl” Fern who can’t go anywhere without her Miss Patty Cake doll (who is a character in and of itself) but wants to be grown up too. Not having sisters myself, I’m unsure how sisters interact, but Ms. Williams-Garcia convinced me that all sisters are equally amusing, complex, argumentative and joyful as these three.
With their Mother’s self imposed absence, the girls must create a community with the teachers and other children at summer camp. They experience firsthand the racial tension and conflict of 60s. They are truly cared for by this “village” of people while on their 4 week vacation. Finally, with their “dream vacation” about to end, the girls and their Mother begin to learn and understand more fully what it’s like to be mother and daughters.
One Crazy Summer will light up your heart and make you want to squeeze your kids just that much tighter.
The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick
4.0
My journey thru juvenile fiction continues (while trying to tackle the mammoth Wolf Hall) with The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Roman Philbrick.
A delightful tale reminiscent of the 1st Homer’s Odyssey, Homer Figg leaves home in search of his brother who has been illegally sworn in as a member of the Union army by a nasty Uncle Squint. He doesn’t encounter Sirens or a Cyclops, but does come across a conductor, slave catchers, Quakers, a traveling medicine show, and the legendary Union commander, Col. Chamberlain.
Homer is desperate to find his brother in the vast Union army. To keep his journey alive, he weaves imaginative tales and passes them along as truths to whoever will listen and helps him along his way. He ultimately finds Harold at the battle of Gettysburg where they both witness the most horrific battle known to America.
Homer’s wit and determination are endearing. And the cast of characters that surrounds him are equally entertaining. For those emerging readers who aren’t familiar with Civil War history, this is also a good book for a fictional account of the Battle of Gettysburg. The author does a tremendous job describing the battle from an eyewitness point of view without overwhelming the reader with a more mature, description of the destruction.
A whimsical book, with equally whimsical characters that can be enjoyed by youth and adults alike.
A delightful tale reminiscent of the 1st Homer’s Odyssey, Homer Figg leaves home in search of his brother who has been illegally sworn in as a member of the Union army by a nasty Uncle Squint. He doesn’t encounter Sirens or a Cyclops, but does come across a conductor, slave catchers, Quakers, a traveling medicine show, and the legendary Union commander, Col. Chamberlain.
Homer is desperate to find his brother in the vast Union army. To keep his journey alive, he weaves imaginative tales and passes them along as truths to whoever will listen and helps him along his way. He ultimately finds Harold at the battle of Gettysburg where they both witness the most horrific battle known to America.
Homer’s wit and determination are endearing. And the cast of characters that surrounds him are equally entertaining. For those emerging readers who aren’t familiar with Civil War history, this is also a good book for a fictional account of the Battle of Gettysburg. The author does a tremendous job describing the battle from an eyewitness point of view without overwhelming the reader with a more mature, description of the destruction.
A whimsical book, with equally whimsical characters that can be enjoyed by youth and adults alike.