Chicks Get Lit: 5-star

Showing posts with label 5-star. Show all posts

Saturday, August 9, 2014

Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky

Hard to believe that something published by Disney Hyperion for children would make me all weepy. Still, Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky did just that.

The story of Grayson, a sixth grader who has already had a rough life. His parents died in a car accident when he was quite young. His aunt and uncle took him and while they clearly love him, they don’t always know how to deal with raising a child who is not their own while raising their own two sons.

Grayson has his own issues to deal with, namely his own identity. Everyone who sees Grayson sees a boy, but when he looks into the mirror, there’s a beautiful girl in a pretty dress there - or there was, pretending gets tougher as you grow older. Knowing that no one else will accept his desire to be a girl, he hides away from the world as much as he can. Something as simple as school lunchtime makes Grayson cringe.

This school year though Grayson has already stepped way out of his usual shell. He finally made a friend (only his second real friend in life). He put his name on the tryout list for the school play. Realizing that a play gives him the opportunity to be a girl, after being encouraged by a teacher and given all of the warnings you’d expect, he decides to try out for the lead girl role.

Not everyone is on board with this casting possibility. In fact, the very people who should support Grayson are not so thrilled with his desire to play a girl. Despite the warnings and objections, Grayson is not backing down, the play will go on. Won’t it? No one can stop it, can they? Sure, they’ll try, but Grayson has come so far, there just has to be a play!

Sadly a story like Grayson’s must have some bullying. Sometimes stories like these can feel a little forced in that department. This story shows a fairly realistic progression - when Grayson is just the shy kid who actually tries in school then the bullying is fairly minor: being called the teacher’s pet, etc. As it becomes more and more obvious that he is serious about playing a girl, it becomes meaner and potentially dangerous for Grayson.

While I’m not super thrilled with where the book ended, I do respect the choice to end it on the note it ended on. One of my favorite books in awhile that was targeted to middle school aged kids.

* Disclaimer: I received this book at no cost in order to review it. I offered no guarantee of a positive review, though I only request books I think I'll like because why read a book you think you’ll hate?

Thursday, July 31, 2014

To This Day: For the Bullied and Beautiful by Shane Koyczan

To This Day: For the Bullied and Beautiful
Author: Shane Koyczan w/various illustrators
Release date: September 2, 2014

Before discovering this book, I had somehow missed seeing the video version of the poem that is on display here. Now that I have seen both all I can say is WOW!

Okay maybe I can say a little more than that. This book should probably be required reading for kids. It’s a great way to introduce them to poetry. Not just any poetry but poetry that means something. Poetry that points out the damage that bullying can do. Poetry that points out that no matter how tough things are, you can make it through.

Not only is the poem beautiful but the illustrations are too. Though they are done by numerous artists and styles, they all work here.

Everyone involved should be proud. If you haven’t seen the video version yet, I’d read the book first and then follow it up with the video.

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer Holm

Ellie has a fairly normal life. While her parents are divorced they remain friends. Having just entered junior high school Ellie is starting to learn that growing up can change things that you thought would never change. Your lifelong best friend suddenly has new interests and friends. Your babysitter would rather work in the mall than watch you. You learn a shocking truth about your goldfish after it dies. It’s all tough enough to adjust to without your mad scientist grandfather showing up in the body of a thirteen year old.

Ellie gets to know her grandfather, Melvin, as she never had before, much to the dismay of Ellie’s mom. Ellie’s parents are actors, they've always pushed the arts on Ellie and now here’s grandpa telling her all about how great science is. Melvin and Ellie end up spending a lot of time together — attending school together, attempting to get back into Melvin’s office, making new friends together, and of course disagreeing with each other.

An old man disappearing and a young one showing up in his place? That cannot last forever, right? Melvin needs to reverse what happened to him, right? He needs to fix the mess he’s created. But what if Melvin kind of likes the mess he's created? What if he thinks this whole situation will win him awards and spare him from all of the negatives that old age brings.

A sweet story about a young girl who finally really gets to know her grandfather. A girl who starts to figure out what interests her and starts to question everything. And it’s the story of a man who misses being young, misses all he’s lost.

I have only one real complaint — the ending It felt like a teaser for a series option and this book didn’t need that.

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Oliver and the Seawigs by Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre

Books about parents who spend a lot of time being crazy explorers recklessly becoming lost or stolen, leaving their sons to have to rescue them seems to be a popular theme. Here though it is done right. The Crisp family like an adventure. Until the day that realize they’ve explored everything there is to explore. Time to settle down. Oliver, the ten year old son, is thrilled. He’s never had a home before. He’s never been to a real school. Explore volcanoes? Getting chased by gators? Sure, he’s done that. That’s not the same as playing with kids your own age though. Still, when you have lived the kinds of lives the Crisps have, something is bound to go wrong when you try to settle down. Something that leads to, what else, a new adventure!

This time, however, Oliver and his parents are forced to be apart during the adventure. Oliver’s parents are missing and he must find them. Aided by a mermaid, a bird, and an island Oliver is on an adventure that he’s never seen before. Oh, and don’t worry there is an enemy to deal with. A few enemies really -- an island and its inhabitants don’t want Oliver to complete this adventure.

Fast, fun, and to the point. The big “3rd act battle” is not full of silly filler. Great for kids of all ages.

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Love Me by Rachel Shukert

Love Me (Starstruck #2) by Rachel Shukert

When I finished this book, I was torn as to wether or not it was better than/ worse than/ or the same as Starstruck. In the end I decided it is in some ways superior, in some ways not quite as good, but overall still a 5 (or maybe more like 4.5).

The first book was more focussed on Margo. This, I think was meant be to Amanda heavy, but it was a bit more balanced than Starstruck in the time it gave the different girls.

It is basically Mean Girls or Gossip Girl set in the golden age of Hollywood. The meanness is perhaps more subtle but selfishness is always happening here.

Relationship dramas amid family dramas against studio drama. It’s all drama all of the time for these girls. Even when they are at the top of their game they find some reason to envy their friends (and enemies).

Several important events happen in this book - maybe too much as some of it ends up a little rushed. Still this isn one of the rare times when I don’t mind a series. A series that leaves you with cliffhangers. These types of books have been my #1 book pet peeve for awhile. Here, it feels right. Like some ongoing soap opera with so many plots that you need more than one book to get it all in. If it goes on too long, it does run the risk of feeling stale (there's only so many twists you can give to Hollywood Starlets in the 30s), but for now I’m all in.

Friday, May 2, 2014

Starship Grifters by Robert Kroese

Starship Grifters (A Rex Nihilo Adventure) -

Rex is something of a buffoon. He has troubles with money. Troubles with knowing when to quit. Troubles with the bad guys -- and the good ones for that matter. But he's also got Sasha. Sasha can't lie. She cannot think new thoughts or she'll reboot. Still, she's Rex's best hope for saving him from himself (and some others). Together they travel the galaxy in a constant state of trying to escape the last mess that Rex got them into. They’ll travel everywhere, from a seemingly barren planet to a prison colony. They try to avoid just about everyone, including the ship-to-ship missionaries, and yet they still manage to pick up new friends and enemies both.

Fans of Kroese’s Mercury series won’t be disappointed but it’s also a suitable read for those new to his work. The same style of wit is here. Instead of angels and demons his characters deal with other humans and aliens. My only concern with this book is that is runs the risk of becoming repetitive if the series goes on too long.

This book is best for people who like comedic sci-fi (Hitchhiker’s, Red Dwarf, etc).

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Starstruck by Rachel Shukert

Starstruck

Growing up in Pasadena means you’re close enough to be discovered. Hollywood. The glitz. The glamour. Margaret was fascinated by it all. She dreamed, of course, but it was just dreams… until it wasn’t. After being discovered at the soda shop, she had to choose between her family and being a star.

Thrown into Hollywood without a clue, Margaret becomes Margo and learns that everything is not how it seems. Those starlets are not actually all madly in love with the leading men they’re seen out and about with. People would do anything to get ahead including becoming all new people. Margaret must figure her way through the politics, the romances (real and set up), the friends (real and not — mostly not).

She’ll see and hear things she never saw or heard in Pasadena. But she’ll also realize that in Pasadena or Hollywood, everyone is mostly the same.

She’ll even meet her idol, just not under the circumstances she’d expected.

Starstruck is a fast fun romp through old Hollywood. The real stars take their places as bit background players. Margaret, Diana, Gabby, and Amanda are the stars here. If you like old movies, you’ll probably love some of the name dropping of real celebs mixed in with our girls (and guys but mostly girls).

If I have one complaint with this book it is that the two girls who seem like they are meant to be as important as Margaret don’t actually get to be developed as well as they could be. Still, I’ll gladly continue on with the series.

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman

Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman

Mother is away. Father has been given a long list of things to remember to do while he's in charge. He could recite the list by heart. Then comes the milk. How could he forget the milk. Cereal needs milk, more importantly his own tea needs milk. So off he goes to the corner store for the milk.

When it seems father has been gone far too long, the kids fear they'll have to resort to eating less than ideal breakfast foods. Then, dad shows up with the milk and a story about why he was late. An unbelievable story. The kids don't believe but dad claims to have the proof.

A fast fun ride through space and time. One of the Neil Gaiman stories that is perfect for all ages, probably the best he's he has written for children.

Friday, January 24, 2014

Flip Dolls & Other Toys That Zip, Stack, Hide, Grab & Go by Laura Wilson

Flip Dolls & Other Toys That Zip, Stack, Hide, Grab & Go

This book is broken up into sections. The first 25 or so pages explain how the book came to be, what supplies you’ll need and a brief history of flip dolls.

Next up is the “Zip & Stack” section which includes a stacking tree, nesting flowers, elephant parade, cheshire cat, smiling crocodile, and sly fox. All of these either utilize zippers or stacking methods to make them unique. The elephant and trees are rates easy while the others in this section are moderate.

Next is “Hide, Seek, & Go” which includes a peekaboo turtle, getaway car, bouncy bunny, gulp the whale, winged horse, and nuts n’ bolts robot. Pretty self explanatory. The Turtle hides in or out of his shell. Bouncy Bunny uses elastic to make him go. Etc. These are all rated at the moderate skill level.

“Show & Tell” features items that are more for display than play. Good Times watch, bright ideas computer, plucky ukulele, crabby crab, knotty frog, perching bird, lie detector. All of these are listed within the moderate skill range. The best one here is the bright ideas computer — a cloth computer where the screen is a window just big enough to fit a photo, blank pages, art work, even a small sketchbook.

The “Flip & Turn” section is likely the one that people will buy the book for. The dolls that are a two in one flip. These dolls flip inside out instead of upside down. Cat-Fish, Secret Message chat bubbles, The caterpillar and the butterfly, George and the dragon, The owl and the pussycat, Superhero, Vampire-Bat, Circus flip. There are a mix of easy, moderate, and advanced in this section.

The book includes templates for all projects in the back — you’ll need a way to enlarge them.

These 27 projects are all adorable. I wish it had focussed more on the flip and turn and hide and seek but I could see how those could feel repetitive. The skill levels feel mostly right. I never seem to move out of beginner without lots of 4 letter words being involved but some of these moderate seem fine for me.

Thursday, December 12, 2013

8-Bit Christmas by Kevin Jakubowski

8-Bit Christmas is to children of the 80s what "A Christmas Story" was to children of the whatever decade that was (30s, 40s?). This time though there’s no Red Ryder BB gun. The only gun that any kid cares about is the one that allows you to play Duck Hunt on the Nintendo.

Timmy Kleen is the only kid in all of Batavia to have a Nintendo. One kid. No one really likes Timmy and yet here they find themselves begging to get inside his house. Jake Doyle doesn’t want to spend his life waiting in a line to get into someone else’s house. Not when there must be some way to get his own system.

Hints to the family. Who knows whether or not Santa is real, but asking him might not hurt, just in case. Same with God, real or not, who knows but you better ask him too. Maybe you can save up enough money to buy your own. Somehow, some way you must end up with your own Nintendo. Jake tries it all. Finally when Christmas hits and you still don’t have a Nintendo? All you can do it hope that the parents of Santa (if he’s even real) will make your dreams come true.

The story is a trip down memory lane filled with Cabbage Patch Kids, baseball cards, and Saturday morning cartoons.

I’d recommend it to anyone who likes “A Christmas Story” or who just wants to be reminded of life in the 80s.