Author: Cecily Von Ziegesar
Year: 2002
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Novel
Series: Gossip Girl
Plot Summary: Serena van der Woodsen used to be the queen of Constance Billard School until she left for a year of boarding school. She comes back to find that her former best friend, Blair Waldorf, has gotten used to having the spotlight. Nasty rumors start spreading about Serena's time away and she soon finds herself an outcast and looking for new friends. Much teen drama ensues.
Red Flags: Um, a lot. Of every kind. It seems like you'd at least have to be voting age to read this book. But to be more specific, there is plentiful strong language, teenage drinking, drug use and and sex a'plenty. There's also some bulemia on the side.
My Rating: D
Um, this book is a pile of crap. (Sorry, Mom) No, seriously, I can't believe teenage girls are reading this. I can see college girls enjoying it for the ridiculousness of it, but for really reading it and wanting to get into that world? That's kind of unbelievable.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Little House on the Prairie
Author: Laura Ingalls Wilder
Year: 1935
Reading Level: Intermediate
Genre: Western,
Series: Little House
Plot Summary: Laura Ingalls and her family move from their house in the big woods to find a new life on the plains. After the long trip to the West, her family builds a new house and tries to establish themselves in the land. Over the course of the book, the Ingalls family builds a new home, acquires a cow, fights a prairie fire and interacts with the local Indian tribes.
Red Flags: This book will make you feel incredibly lazy and unskilled because you can't make a door, dig a well, hunt for food or be really self sufficient at all.
My Rating: A
I'm pretty sure my mom read all of the Little House books to us when we were little, but all I can remember really is the bear in Farmer Boy. Anyway, this was fun to read, and it was interesting to read it knowing the author had lived it. Her writing isn't really awesome in the technical sense but it works for the story. And I always like Garth Williams illustrations.
Year: 1935
Reading Level: Intermediate
Genre: Western,
Series: Little House
Plot Summary: Laura Ingalls and her family move from their house in the big woods to find a new life on the plains. After the long trip to the West, her family builds a new house and tries to establish themselves in the land. Over the course of the book, the Ingalls family builds a new home, acquires a cow, fights a prairie fire and interacts with the local Indian tribes.
Red Flags: This book will make you feel incredibly lazy and unskilled because you can't make a door, dig a well, hunt for food or be really self sufficient at all.
My Rating: A
I'm pretty sure my mom read all of the Little House books to us when we were little, but all I can remember really is the bear in Farmer Boy. Anyway, this was fun to read, and it was interesting to read it knowing the author had lived it. Her writing isn't really awesome in the technical sense but it works for the story. And I always like Garth Williams illustrations.
Jinx
Author: Meg Cabot
Year: 2007
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Novel/Fantasy
Plot Summary: Hoping to escape her perpetual bad luck, Jean Honeychurch (aka Jinx) moves from a small town in Iowa to live with her wealthy aunt and uncle in New York City. There she finds that her formerly friendly cousin, Tory, has turned into a surly teenager with a lot of attitude and a belief that she's a witch. When Jinx seems to be getting everything Tory wants, Tory does her best to make Jinx's life miserable, including bringing her past back to haunt her.
Red Flags: Some strong language, teenage partying, witchcraft
My Rating: B-
I expected this book to just be the standard teen drama novel, and then was really surprised when the witchcraft angle came in. It was kind of weird how it was presented, like witchcraft is a beautiful thing and all about being in harmony with nature. Not that I don't like nature or being harmony with it, but it was just kind of strange. The writing was all right, nothing spectacular, and the characters were all pretty standard. Also, Jinx was unbelievably dense when it came to her boy situation.
Year: 2007
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Novel/Fantasy
Plot Summary: Hoping to escape her perpetual bad luck, Jean Honeychurch (aka Jinx) moves from a small town in Iowa to live with her wealthy aunt and uncle in New York City. There she finds that her formerly friendly cousin, Tory, has turned into a surly teenager with a lot of attitude and a belief that she's a witch. When Jinx seems to be getting everything Tory wants, Tory does her best to make Jinx's life miserable, including bringing her past back to haunt her.
Red Flags: Some strong language, teenage partying, witchcraft
My Rating: B-
I expected this book to just be the standard teen drama novel, and then was really surprised when the witchcraft angle came in. It was kind of weird how it was presented, like witchcraft is a beautiful thing and all about being in harmony with nature. Not that I don't like nature or being harmony with it, but it was just kind of strange. The writing was all right, nothing spectacular, and the characters were all pretty standard. Also, Jinx was unbelievably dense when it came to her boy situation.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Coraline
Author: Neil Gaiman
Year: 2002
Reading Level: Intermediate
Genre: Real world fantasy
Plot Summary: Coraline loves exploring and she has plenty of time to explore her family's new flat, which is part of a larger house. In the course of her exploring she opens a door that leads to nothing...or so it seems. Soon she discovers an other world on the other side with other versions of her parents and neighbors. Her other parents adore her to a creepy extent and though they let her leave the first time, leaving the second time isn't so easy.
Red Flags: The story would scare some kids
Movie version: Coraline
My Rating: A-
This was such a spooky book! Ominous messages from mice, button eyes, shadowy things...spooky! This is probably my favorite Gaiman book that I've read. I really like the story and Coraline, though I wish we got into her head a little more. She says she's scared, but I don't always believe her. Also, I liked the cat.
Year: 2002
Reading Level: Intermediate
Genre: Real world fantasy
Plot Summary: Coraline loves exploring and she has plenty of time to explore her family's new flat, which is part of a larger house. In the course of her exploring she opens a door that leads to nothing...or so it seems. Soon she discovers an other world on the other side with other versions of her parents and neighbors. Her other parents adore her to a creepy extent and though they let her leave the first time, leaving the second time isn't so easy.
Red Flags: The story would scare some kids
Movie version: Coraline
My Rating: A-
This was such a spooky book! Ominous messages from mice, button eyes, shadowy things...spooky! This is probably my favorite Gaiman book that I've read. I really like the story and Coraline, though I wish we got into her head a little more. She says she's scared, but I don't always believe her. Also, I liked the cat.
Crispin: the Cross of Lead
Author: Avi
Year: 2002
Age Level: Intermediate
Genre: Historical
Series: Crispin
Plot Summary: After his mother's death, 13-year-old Crispin happens to overhear a mysterious nighttime conversation that leads to his being framed for theft. Escaping into the woods, Crispin begins a desperate journey to find safety. Along the way he meets a deep-thinking entertainer and together they work to outrun Crispin's pursuers and discover the secrets of Crispin's past.
Red Flags: Religious discussion and themes
Award/s: Newbery medal winner
My Rating: A
This was the first Avi book I've ever read and I am definitely going to have to pick up the next book soon. The writing is very good and Crispin is such a cute little character. It also has a nice level of historical detail--enough to fully set the stage, but not so much that it reads like an encyclopedia article.
Year: 2002
Age Level: Intermediate
Genre: Historical
Series: Crispin
Plot Summary: After his mother's death, 13-year-old Crispin happens to overhear a mysterious nighttime conversation that leads to his being framed for theft. Escaping into the woods, Crispin begins a desperate journey to find safety. Along the way he meets a deep-thinking entertainer and together they work to outrun Crispin's pursuers and discover the secrets of Crispin's past.
Red Flags: Religious discussion and themes
Award/s: Newbery medal winner
My Rating: A
This was the first Avi book I've ever read and I am definitely going to have to pick up the next book soon. The writing is very good and Crispin is such a cute little character. It also has a nice level of historical detail--enough to fully set the stage, but not so much that it reads like an encyclopedia article.
An Abundance of Katherines
Author: John Green
Year: 2006
Age Level: Young Adult
Genre: Novel
Plot Summary: Colin Singleton is a "washed-up child prodigy" who has just been dumped by a Katherine for the nineteenth time. In an effort to distract him, Colin's best friend, Hassan, instigates a roadtrip adventure. It's not long before the two find themselves in Gutshot, Tennessee, looking for the grave of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and making friends with the locals. Colin and Hassan take up residence in a pink mansion and experience all the drama and teenage antics Gutshot have to offer, while Colin tries to explain his dumping-by-Katherines history with mathematics.
Red Flags: Language, some sexual content, some math talk
My Rating: B+
I'm lukewarm about a lot of this book. The story and setting is fun enough, and some of the characters are interesting. I guess I just don't relate to it much because this was nothing like my teenage experience, and the book seems like it's supposed to reflect the average teenager. Anyway. I did really like Colin by the end of it though, and the whole resolution of the story was pretty satisfying, if predictable.
Year: 2006
Age Level: Young Adult
Genre: Novel
Plot Summary: Colin Singleton is a "washed-up child prodigy" who has just been dumped by a Katherine for the nineteenth time. In an effort to distract him, Colin's best friend, Hassan, instigates a roadtrip adventure. It's not long before the two find themselves in Gutshot, Tennessee, looking for the grave of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and making friends with the locals. Colin and Hassan take up residence in a pink mansion and experience all the drama and teenage antics Gutshot have to offer, while Colin tries to explain his dumping-by-Katherines history with mathematics.
Red Flags: Language, some sexual content, some math talk
My Rating: B+
I'm lukewarm about a lot of this book. The story and setting is fun enough, and some of the characters are interesting. I guess I just don't relate to it much because this was nothing like my teenage experience, and the book seems like it's supposed to reflect the average teenager. Anyway. I did really like Colin by the end of it though, and the whole resolution of the story was pretty satisfying, if predictable.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Goose Chase
Author: Patrice Kindl
Year: 2002
Age Level: Intermediate
Genre: Fairy tale
Plot Summary: Alexandria Aurora Fortunato, once simply a Goose Girl, has been enchanted and put in a tower while a young, simple Prince and a older, ruthless King vie for her hand in marriage. Her twelve white geese come to her rescue just in time, and although Alexandria escapes the tower, she still has to deal with hungry ogresses, a cruel Baroness and a hapless traveling companion. All she wants is to live in the country again with her geese, but Alexandria seems to be destined for a life grander than that of a Goose Girl.
My rating: A.
I read this book several years ago and loved it. I was hoping it would hold up on a second reading, and it did. It has everything a good fairy tale ought to have: enchantments, royalty, good characters and a satisfying conclusion.
Year: 2002
Age Level: Intermediate
Genre: Fairy tale
Plot Summary: Alexandria Aurora Fortunato, once simply a Goose Girl, has been enchanted and put in a tower while a young, simple Prince and a older, ruthless King vie for her hand in marriage. Her twelve white geese come to her rescue just in time, and although Alexandria escapes the tower, she still has to deal with hungry ogresses, a cruel Baroness and a hapless traveling companion. All she wants is to live in the country again with her geese, but Alexandria seems to be destined for a life grander than that of a Goose Girl.
My rating: A.
I read this book several years ago and loved it. I was hoping it would hold up on a second reading, and it did. It has everything a good fairy tale ought to have: enchantments, royalty, good characters and a satisfying conclusion.
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