Author: Brian K. Vaughan
Illustrators: Adrian Alphona, Takeshi Miyazawa
Year: 2006
Genre: Sci-Fi, Fantasy
Reading Level: Young Adult
Series: Runaways ongoing title
Plot Summary: 5 teenagers and one tween discover their normal parents are really a group of super villains (called The Pride) working to overthrow the whole world. Confused, they run away and try to figure out how they can bring their parents to justice. Along the way, they discover unique abilities of their own as they go on the run, fight a hot vampire and, finally, confront their parents.
Red Flag/s: Character death, some language, action, teenage delinquency
Award/s: Eisner, Harvey
My Rating: B+. This started out more interesting than it ended up being. Midway through the characters started turning into cliches, and the story dragged a bit. The art and writing are both pretty solid, but neither are really fantastic. I got kind of tired of Vaughan sneaking in little bits of political agendas. Also, why were Gert's legs so very very short? Even more importantly, why did the raptor have a nose ring?
Showing posts with label adventure. Show all posts
Showing posts with label adventure. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Hatchet
Author: Gary Paulsen
Year: 1987
Genre: Adventure/Survival
Reading Level: Young Adult
Series: First in the Brian's Saga series
Plot Summary: Brian Robeson is on his way to visit his father in Canada in a small plane when the pilot dies suddenly of a heart attack. Alone in the plane with the pilot's corpse, off course and with only a rudimentary understanding of flying, Brian first has to figure out how to land the plane in a way that will not lead to his demise. When he finally gets to the ground, Brian finds his troubles are just beginning when he has to survive, alone, in the middle of a Canadian forest. Of course he has to do this with just the clothes on his back and a dorky gift from his mother--a hatchet.
Award/s: Newbery Honor book
Red Flags: stressful situations, a detailed death and general unpleasantries
My Rating: B+. I enjoyed this book. It was interesting and entertaining and fast. But I didn't care for Paulsen's super dramatic style, which I will now imitate: "If he didn't land the plane he would die. Die. That would be it. He would be dead. Forever. Dead." But I did enjoy it! It was just filled with all kinds of unpleasant survival details like vomiting and swollen faces. Also, two words: turtle eggs.
Year: 1987
Genre: Adventure/Survival
Reading Level: Young Adult
Series: First in the Brian's Saga series
Plot Summary: Brian Robeson is on his way to visit his father in Canada in a small plane when the pilot dies suddenly of a heart attack. Alone in the plane with the pilot's corpse, off course and with only a rudimentary understanding of flying, Brian first has to figure out how to land the plane in a way that will not lead to his demise. When he finally gets to the ground, Brian finds his troubles are just beginning when he has to survive, alone, in the middle of a Canadian forest. Of course he has to do this with just the clothes on his back and a dorky gift from his mother--a hatchet.
Award/s: Newbery Honor book
Red Flags: stressful situations, a detailed death and general unpleasantries
My Rating: B+. I enjoyed this book. It was interesting and entertaining and fast. But I didn't care for Paulsen's super dramatic style, which I will now imitate: "If he didn't land the plane he would die. Die. That would be it. He would be dead. Forever. Dead." But I did enjoy it! It was just filled with all kinds of unpleasant survival details like vomiting and swollen faces. Also, two words: turtle eggs.
The Ballad of the Pirate Queens
Author: Jane Yolen
Illustrator: David Shannon
Year: 1998
Age level: 4-8
Plot Summary: This book tells the story of the two most famous female pirates--Anne Bonney and Mary Reade. Sailing on the ship Vanity, the two women protest when their captain does nothing when the ship is attacked. After the ship is captured by the military, they escape hanging...unlike their unfortunate shipmates.
Red Flag/s: Thievin' and plunderin'. Also, hangings.
My Rating: A-. I'll admit I read this book for the illustrations, which are fantastic. The text is good too, but in this case picture trump words.
Illustrator: David Shannon
Year: 1998
Age level: 4-8
Plot Summary: This book tells the story of the two most famous female pirates--Anne Bonney and Mary Reade. Sailing on the ship Vanity, the two women protest when their captain does nothing when the ship is attacked. After the ship is captured by the military, they escape hanging...unlike their unfortunate shipmates.
Red Flag/s: Thievin' and plunderin'. Also, hangings.
My Rating: A-. I'll admit I read this book for the illustrations, which are fantastic. The text is good too, but in this case picture trump words.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
Author: Robert C. O'Brien
Year: 1971
Reading Level: Intermediate
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Plot Summary: It's early spring and for newly-widowed Mrs. Frisby and her small (mice) children, it means they have to move out of the farmer's garden before he plows it. Unfortunately her youngest son, Timothy, falls seriously ill and she cannot move him before the plowing. Mrs. Frisby finds help in unexpected places, but nowhere more unexpected than from a mysterious group of rats living under a rose bush. Where did the rats come from? What connection do they have to Mrs. Frisby? The answer is, well, awesome.
Red Flags: This is one of those books that will make you feel guilty for interefering with the animal world at all. Also, the ending is kind of sad.
Movie Version: The Secret of NIMH
My Rating: A. I was not expecting to like this as much as I did. I remember liking the movie a lot (which is not entirely faithful), but that was all I had to go on. And while the book is different, it was really good. Justin! How can you not love Justin? It reminded me of Watership Down, more towards the end, what with the drama and the escaping and the tragic ending.
Year: 1971
Reading Level: Intermediate
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Plot Summary: It's early spring and for newly-widowed Mrs. Frisby and her small (mice) children, it means they have to move out of the farmer's garden before he plows it. Unfortunately her youngest son, Timothy, falls seriously ill and she cannot move him before the plowing. Mrs. Frisby finds help in unexpected places, but nowhere more unexpected than from a mysterious group of rats living under a rose bush. Where did the rats come from? What connection do they have to Mrs. Frisby? The answer is, well, awesome.
Red Flags: This is one of those books that will make you feel guilty for interefering with the animal world at all. Also, the ending is kind of sad.
Movie Version: The Secret of NIMH
My Rating: A. I was not expecting to like this as much as I did. I remember liking the movie a lot (which is not entirely faithful), but that was all I had to go on. And while the book is different, it was really good. Justin! How can you not love Justin? It reminded me of Watership Down, more towards the end, what with the drama and the escaping and the tragic ending.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
The Fantastic Flying Adventure
Author: Gerald Durrell
Year: 1987
Reading Level: Intermediate
Genre: Adventure
Plot Summary: The three Dollybutt (really) siblings--Emma, Conrad and Ivan--are understandably surprised when their Great-Uncle Lancelot shows up on their lawn in his enormous hot air balloon house, the Belladonna. He quickly enlists the children's help in finding his lost brother Perceval and they set off to find him in the Belladonna. They travel around the world in the balloon following Perceval's trail, frequently stopping to question the local animals on his whereabouts.
Red Flags: Heavy handed environmental message
My Rating: C. Illustrations=nice. Story=bland. I'm not sure which annoyed me more--how obviously the animal factoids were shoehorned in or how obnoxiously heavy handed the environmental message was. It's great that Gerald Durrell is a leading naturalist and whatnot but a storyteller he is not.
Year: 1987
Reading Level: Intermediate
Genre: Adventure
Plot Summary: The three Dollybutt (really) siblings--Emma, Conrad and Ivan--are understandably surprised when their Great-Uncle Lancelot shows up on their lawn in his enormous hot air balloon house, the Belladonna. He quickly enlists the children's help in finding his lost brother Perceval and they set off to find him in the Belladonna. They travel around the world in the balloon following Perceval's trail, frequently stopping to question the local animals on his whereabouts.
Red Flags: Heavy handed environmental message
My Rating: C. Illustrations=nice. Story=bland. I'm not sure which annoyed me more--how obviously the animal factoids were shoehorned in or how obnoxiously heavy handed the environmental message was. It's great that Gerald Durrell is a leading naturalist and whatnot but a storyteller he is not.
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