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s_n_arly's reviews
730 reviews
The Dragon Takes a Wife by Walter Dean Myers, Fiona French
4.0
I picked this up at a Half-Price Books when my son was a baby. It was initially the bright colors and contrasts that appealed, but once I read it, I realized we'd discovered an unexpected gem. The characters are ethnically diverse, and Mabel Mae, is a wonderful antidote for the cutesy Disney style fairies.
Only the magic spells are written in rhyme, and the whole thing reads very nicely aloud.
Only the magic spells are written in rhyme, and the whole thing reads very nicely aloud.
Crazy Hair by Neil Gaiman
5.0
This is a terribly fun read. It's simpler and shorter than Wolves in the Walls (for which Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean also teamed up on).
It's got a rhyming scheme that works well. The tall tales about what live in this dude's crazy hair made the 4 and 6 year old roar with laughter. It could have been creepy but it's not, and it has a happy ending.
Dave McKean's art has grown on me and works particularly well in this story.
It's got a rhyming scheme that works well. The tall tales about what live in this dude's crazy hair made the 4 and 6 year old roar with laughter. It could have been creepy but it's not, and it has a happy ending.
Dave McKean's art has grown on me and works particularly well in this story.
Lord Sunday by Garth Nix
4.0
This is the seventh and final book in the Keys to the Kingdom series. If you haven't read the previous six, for goodness sake, go back and find the first one and get cracking. This is an excellent series with a rich and complex world and characters that feel real. None of this is a surprise, because these are really the hallmarks of Garth Nix's writing. Also, the cost in the end is absolutely appropriate - not too much, but not too little. This is another area in which Nix excels.
I'm delighted to say that not only does Nix tie up the loose ends (and they really do make sense, despite some of the quibbles in other reviews), and it looks like he had the important details plotted out all along. While there are things that I completely saw coming (I'm a writer and I do that), some parts of the end took me completely by surprise. Sometimes when a book takes me by surprise, it's because the author did something stupid that doesn't make sense. In this case, it's because the author is a whole lot brighter than me and it made perfect sense (and I'm delighted to be surprised).
If you're a fan of Nix's other work, do keep in mind that these are middle grade books, so there are some things that don't get the attention or time (and therefore the full emotional impact they could) that they would in his work intended for older readers.
I'm delighted to say that not only does Nix tie up the loose ends (and they really do make sense, despite some of the quibbles in other reviews), and it looks like he had the important details plotted out all along. While there are things that I completely saw coming (I'm a writer and I do that), some parts of the end took me completely by surprise. Sometimes when a book takes me by surprise, it's because the author did something stupid that doesn't make sense. In this case, it's because the author is a whole lot brighter than me and it made perfect sense (and I'm delighted to be surprised).
If you're a fan of Nix's other work, do keep in mind that these are middle grade books, so there are some things that don't get the attention or time (and therefore the full emotional impact they could) that they would in his work intended for older readers.
Unexpected Treasures by Victoria Osteen
1.0
The only good thing I can say about this book is that it provided a teachable moment wherein I explained to my children that they could have whatever religious beliefs they wanted, but it should be because they have chosen these beliefs, not because they've been tricked into them.
We picked this up at the library. I paged through the first half and it looked like a slightly over the top "be nice to people" book, but otherwise fine. Like some other reviewers I found the rhyming pattern actually hurt the story, forcing unnatural repetition and language use from the characters. About halfway through, it suddenly turns from a children's imaginary pirate adventure to a preachy god book. There was nothing on the cover or back to warn me that I was very definitely not the target audience for this.
We picked this up at the library. I paged through the first half and it looked like a slightly over the top "be nice to people" book, but otherwise fine. Like some other reviewers I found the rhyming pattern actually hurt the story, forcing unnatural repetition and language use from the characters. About halfway through, it suddenly turns from a children's imaginary pirate adventure to a preachy god book. There was nothing on the cover or back to warn me that I was very definitely not the target audience for this.
Skelly the Skeleton Girl by Jimmy Pickering
5.0
This is a fun and simple book with charming illustrations. It's a perfect not scary Halloween book. My four year old asks for it again and again. My six year old can read it (it's about as complicated as many level 1 readers).
Lady Poetesses from Hell by Bag Person Press Collective
4.0
This is not your stuffy literature professor's poetry collection. Science fiction, fantasy and horror run freely in these works. Irreverence is more often present than not. Social commentary and criticism is routine. The works are delightful, playful, and above all witty.
For those unfamiliar with the Lady Poetesses from Hell, they are a group of poets who often read at science fiction and fantasy conventions in the Midwest. The group consists of a core of 4-5 poets who are usually present with a number of poets who also rotate in as available. Their readings are part performance art, but the performance is supported by well-written poetry (many of the poets are Rhysling nominees).
While not quite as entertaining and enjoyable as getting to attend a reading by the Lady Poetesses from Hell, the collection runs a close second. As one might expect, through the course of the collection, I developed preferred poets, and of course some poets' work didn't resonate as well for me.
For those unfamiliar with the Lady Poetesses from Hell, they are a group of poets who often read at science fiction and fantasy conventions in the Midwest. The group consists of a core of 4-5 poets who are usually present with a number of poets who also rotate in as available. Their readings are part performance art, but the performance is supported by well-written poetry (many of the poets are Rhysling nominees).
While not quite as entertaining and enjoyable as getting to attend a reading by the Lady Poetesses from Hell, the collection runs a close second. As one might expect, through the course of the collection, I developed preferred poets, and of course some poets' work didn't resonate as well for me.
Grandpa Green by Lane Smith
4.0
On the surface this is a nice simple tale of a boy and his grandfather in a garden. On a second or third read, it becomes clearer that the message is that life is unpredictable and that there's a lot that happens from one end to the other.
My four and six year old enjoyed the illustrations of elaborate topiaries
that hit the high points of grandpa's life as well as the story. They were sad to have to return this to the library.
My four and six year old enjoyed the illustrations of elaborate topiaries
that hit the high points of grandpa's life as well as the story. They were sad to have to return this to the library.
Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock by Eric A. Kimmel
4.0
If you like folktales and you like tricksters, you really should read this, even if you don't have a child to read it to.
Anansi is the Caribbean and West African equivalent to Coyote, a trickster god. He appears in stories as a man or a spider. Sometimes his action cause harm. Sometimes they're helpful. They are always interesting. In this story, Anansi wears his spider form and he discovers a magical moss covered rock.
The illustrations are decent (though it took some convincing for the kids to let me read a story about a HUGE SPIDER). The sadness of Lion and Elephant isn't merely shown in facial expression (though I had trouble finding Elephant's eyes). Once you've read it, go back and watch for Little Bush Deer.
The story doesn't rhyme and reads aloud very nicely. Repetition can often be overdone, but not in this tale. Here, it works very well.
Anansi is the Caribbean and West African equivalent to Coyote, a trickster god. He appears in stories as a man or a spider. Sometimes his action cause harm. Sometimes they're helpful. They are always interesting. In this story, Anansi wears his spider form and he discovers a magical moss covered rock.
The illustrations are decent (though it took some convincing for the kids to let me read a story about a HUGE SPIDER). The sadness of Lion and Elephant isn't merely shown in facial expression (though I had trouble finding Elephant's eyes). Once you've read it, go back and watch for Little Bush Deer.
The story doesn't rhyme and reads aloud very nicely. Repetition can often be overdone, but not in this tale. Here, it works very well.