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May 25, 2005
Review: Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
This book wasn't nearly as wonderful and hilarious as I was led to believe. Since I'm probably the last person to read this book, I won't spend a lot of time talking about the plot. It was an interesting look at four girls' friendships and what they go through during their first summer apart.
Carmen was my favorite character. I thought what her dad did to her was inexcusable and she had the right to be furious. He totally betrayed her. I can't even remember the other characters' names.
Posted by Jenne at 09:12 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Gossip Girls Article
Gossip Girl: The New Young Adult Novel - Adolescence Plus Wealth Equals Big Sales. I hate to say it, but the Gossip Girls series doesn't appeal to me at all, even a little bit. I've never been interested in the glossy , glamourous lives of people with tons of money and no responsibility-- and besides, I read these books when they were called Sweet Valley High. I guess there are a lot of people who are interested in the teen Paris Hilton lifestyle, but the books I like are the antithesis. I'm curious about the people who do like the Gossip Girls types of books. Do you like them? What do you like about them?
Posted by Jenne at 05:37 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 22, 2005
Review: The Ear, The Eye, and the Arm
Nancy Farmer's The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm is a thriller set in Zimbabwe in 2194. A high-powered government official's over-protected children go on an adventure and end up deeper than they thought. When they disappear, their parents hire a misfit detective agency that always seems to be about half a step behind the kids. This is an interesting look at a potential future where plastic is a highly-prized commodity, but old spirits still do battle. It's a very exciting book, but at some points, I started to get tired of all the scrapes the kids got into. However, the end was worth every minute.
The readers of this book might skew a bit young, but this book definitely tackles issues that are interesting to older readers. I especially love the juxtaposition of futuristic worries with spirit myths of the past.
A review by a New York 6th Grader
A review by another novelist
A review by a Washington girl
St. Charles (IL) public library says if you like this book, you'll love the books on their list.
Posted by Jenne at 05:33 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 21, 2005
KFL's Book Covers
kfl book covers is the Kennebunk Free Library's site for readers in grades nine through 12. The blog covers topics similar to this one, but for a geographically specific audience.
Posted by Jenne at 04:19 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 20, 2005
Fabulous Fiction
Fabulous Fiction is a site by two 13-year-old boys, one of whom hates to read. They include bios of various authors and information about their books. The boys won an award from a British television station for their work on the site. Here's a list of some of the other winners of the competition.
Via Kennebunk Free Library Book Covers (Teen site)
Posted by Jenne at 04:13 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 11, 2005
Chasing Vermeer
After three people receive mysterious letters and a famous painting is stolen, sixth-graders Calder and Petra work together to solve the crime and save the painting.
Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliet is aimed to younger readers, but don't let the young characters and big print fool you. It's a fun puzzle to solve, especially if you're interested in mysteries, codes, and art. If your younger brother or sister leaves it lying around, sneak it away for a few hours.
The illustrations were done by Brett Helquist, who also does the illustrations for the Lemony Snicket books.
Scholastic page about Chasing Vermeer
A review from Kidsreads.com
Chasing Vermeer to become a movie (warning, if you're on a slow connection or not using Firefox, it's an about.com page= lots of popups!)
A gifted education teacher's page of games based on Chasing Vermeer. (This one's targeted more to teachers.)
See who else is reading this on All Consuming
Posted by Jenne at 08:58 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 04, 2005
Upcoming Reads
I am immersed in finals right now, but I have quite a reading list for my three-week break. I will be reading and reviewing a few books:
Brashares, Ann-- Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Crutcher, Chris-- Athletic Shorts
Curtis, Christopher-- Bud Not Buddy
Johnson, Angela-- The First Part Last
Strasser, Todd-- Give a Boy a Gun
I will also read something by Sarah Dessen.
I will also reread Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and post a review of that.
There are a few other books I want to read, but these are the priorities. If you have any suggestions, add a comment! Reviews will begin after May 12!
Posted by Jenne at 10:48 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack