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Pages and Co: The Bookwanderers (Pages and Co. #1)
Pages and Co: The Bookwanderers (Pages and Co. #1)
Anna James | 2019 | Children, Science Fiction/Fantasy
9
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Fun Characters (0 more)
I received an uncorrected ARC from a Job I used to have and this children's book is a fun read no matter your age. Tilly a bookworm who lives with her grandparents next to the bookshop they own. Tilly and her friend Oskar's life gets turned upside-down. Tilly discovers that she has the ability to travel inside books and talk to her favorite literary characters.
  
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Alison Pink (7 KP) rated The Witches in Books

Jan 15, 2018  
The Witches
The Witches
Quentin Blake, Roald Dahl | 1983 | Children
10
8.5 (19 Ratings)
Book Rating
Loved this book! It was a quick entertaining read that didn't involve much thinking on my part...never a bad thing after work. My 4th graders are reading it in Book Club & have been devouring it too. The narrator is an awesome character that kids seem to relate well to. But he is also able to hold an adult's interest too. Not always an easy feat for a children's book. This is by far my favorite of Dahl's books!!
  
The Wolves in the Walls
The Wolves in the Walls
Neil Gaiman, Dave McKean | 2003 | Children
9
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Creepy but cute and oh so Gaiman
I just always love Gaiman's children's books because even though they are meant for kids adults can also easily enjoy them and I really think it's because he does not simplify the stories.

I really wish I would have been able to read The Wolves In The Walls when I was a kid because I know I would have just loved it! The story is weird and cute but also creepy with very unique art.
  
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Erika (17788 KP) rated Hook (1991) in Movies

Feb 19, 2018  
Hook (1991)
Hook (1991)
1991 | Action, Family, Sci-Fi
Peter Pan is probably one of my two most favorite children's' books (the other being Winnie-the-Pooh). So, in the early 1990s, when this movie came out, I was so completely excited. One, you have Robin Williams, playing Peter. Two, you've got the Lost Boys, in all of the early 90s glory (Bangarang for life). Dustin Hoffman as Hook was so good, and the exchanges between Hook and Smee are some of my favorite in any movies. I still joke and say apostrophe instead of epiphany.
  
I love the meaning behind this book and the only reason why I gave it a 4 out of 5 stars is because the art style is what got me. I love art in children's books and I saw so much that could have been improved.

The art style was good since it's a children's book, but at the same time it could have been improved a bit. Being a crafty and art fanatic myself, I noticed a lot of times where there were cartoony characters but then some of the characters seemed to be caring on some realistic characteristics. Mixing art styles is totally okay, but at the same time you have to be careful when mixing.

The story: I would have changed a few things myself. But for a child reading it, they would have understood everything just fine.

Would I read it again? No. But I also don't have children so that's a main factor in the rereading category.
  
My Life with Bob
My Life with Bob
Pamela Paul | 2017 | Biography, Essays
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I need to read more books about books, because the few that I've read, I've really enjoyed! Earlier this year I read Tolstoy and the Purple Chair, and loved it. I have holds on Voracious: A Hungry Reader Cooks Her Way Through Great Books and The World Between Two Covers: Reading the Globe. (I also have a hold on The Man Who Loved Books Too Much, but I'm not sure that quite counts.) And, in looking up the links for those books, I just put holds on three more books about reading, since this is a genre I apparently enjoy!

My Life with Bob is about the author's reading life. Bob is a notebook she uses to keep track of what she's read. Just title and author, and whether or not she's finished it. Very simple. But in looking back through what she's read, she recalls where she was, and what she was doing or going through at the time. So the real story is how her reading choices fit into her life, and how being a bookworm affected her life.

I enjoyed the book, with the slight irritation (in the latter part of the book) of her insistence on calling Young Adult literature, Children's Lit. Children's books are picture books and books for young readers, not The Fault in Our Stars and The Hunger Games. Those are Young Adult, and there's a pretty big difference in my opinion. Maybe not in the professional world; she is the editor of The New York Times Book Review. But it's frustrating to hear her talk about Kid Lit and lump Harry Potter in with a 36-page autobiography of a teddy bear written for kids under 10.

I was also a little shocked to learn (in the book!) she wrote a book about how porn is destroying the American family, and testified before Congress about it, sponsored by Senators Orrin Hatch and Sam Brownback. I normally don't have a problem reading Republican authors - I often don't know the exact political leanings of authors - but I'm reading about her reading choices, and suddenly they are all suspect. (She disliked Ayn Rand, at least, so that's something.) The book was published in May of last year, so after the last presidential election. Anyone who acknowledges working with the GOP at this point, and isn't embarrassed by it, immediately gets a black mark in my book.

So ultimately I'm torn on this book. I liked reading it. I dislike the author. (I will never even try to be non-political on this blog. Sorry-not-sorry.)

You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
  
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
J.K. Rowling | 2016 | Children
10
9.1 (229 Ratings)
Book Rating
EVERYTHING (0 more)
Don't be so sirius ...
As much as I say I can't choose one of the Harry Potter books as my favourite ... this one possibly takes the biscuit! The humour, the mystery and of course the introduction of two of my (everyones?) favourite characters: Remus Lupin and Sirius Black.
The way Rowling manages to make us all panic and worry for Harry the entire way through the book to end up actually rooting for the 'bad guy' is probably one of her many talents (no spoilers but read the last book people).
The introduction of the Dementors who are supposed to 'protect' the school and pupils was chilling - no pun intended - and the actual meaning of them for Rowling's own depression was a real interesting twist to these 'childrens' books. Just adding more and more layers to these fabulous books. Introducing a concept such as 'depression' to young readers is a very difficult thing to do and Rowling achieves this with grace and tact. Introducing something as big as depression to young readers, she has managed to crack through the metaphorical glass roof in the way of mental health. Showing children that any person (Wizard or Muggle) can be effected by depression but there are ways to help combat it is something that is done beautifully in this book.
One of the main things I loved about this book was that she made a werewolf, in which horror has made us fear and distrust, into a character we all root for and adore. His backstory of how he has been mistreated by society and basically pushed to one side is respondent to what has happened to certain people in our society. Again, these are meant to be children's books - Rowling manages to put these points across in such a informative but almost gentle way for children to understand without directly shoving it down their throats. I believe in this way Rowling has managed to help the readers who grew up with these books understand the issues in our society and has helped people grow up to want to help end the stigma attached to certain groups and help make equality in our society.
Not bad for children's book.
  
The Berenstain Bears: The Very First Christmas
The Berenstain Bears: The Very First Christmas
Mike Berenstain, Jan Berenstain | 2015 | Children, Fiction & Poetry
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Berenstain Bears: The Very First Christmas is a good book to have for your child or children's bookshelves. It one that you should read on Christmas eve. This one tells the story of the very first Christmas.

You know how the story of Jesus' birth is long and somewhat complicated for children. Well, thanks to the author or authors they have made this book just right for children. The children can learn about the birth of Jesus without it being too complicated.

The pictures are done well. This book is a must-have for your bookshelves. It even should be on your list of Christmas books to read year in and year out.
  
Peter Rabbit (2018)
Peter Rabbit (2018)
2018 | Animation
Disclaimer: I saw this movie on accident. I went to see Early Man, but the projectionist put the wrong movie in, then left. So, no one was able to change it over. Now, I just get to see Early Man for free tonight.
So, this movie is based solely on the illustrations of Peter Rabbit and his various friends from Beatrix Potter's children's books. The movie was amusing, and I laughed at it, as an adult, so I figure that's fairly impressive. The voice acting for all of the animals was great. I did think the difference in age between Rose Byrne and Domhnall Gleeson was a little off, I know there's only a 4 year difference, but it was just a little weird.
  
Five Epic Disasters (I Survived True Stories, #1)
Five Epic Disasters (I Survived True Stories, #1)
Lauren Tarshis | 2014 | History & Politics, Young Adult (YA)
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
So anyone who knows me(or looks at my reading list) can see I love disasters. The [I Survived] series by [Lauren Tarchis] is a reading teacher's friend since it gets kids who don't read to pickup a book. I was really excited about [True Stories] because two of the events were little known (Children's Blizzard and The Great Molasses Flood) and two others were more contemporary. I liked the information given although I would love to see these written on a slightly higher level since I teach middle school.

I found it interesting that most of the sources that the author used were books I have read and have in my classroom. Hopefully I can use this book as a springboard to get kids to read something challenging just to learn more about it.