No great stories to tell either. Life does that to you. It gets chaotic. It gets you into a frenzy, and then, once you have finally worked yourself up to to full speed, everything stops, and you're left having to spin out of your frenzy, because you have suddenly caught yourself "frenzy-ing" for no reason.
I'm lucky. I get to do my idling while house sitting with 2 of my 6 favorite dogs. I've finished 3 sewing projects, which you will likely be reading about in the future. I'm meandering through an incredibly interesting, rather thick book that I have just failed to sit down long enough to read, however, I have beaten 6 levels in Super Mario Wii (Twice, actually... I forgot to save it properly the first run...).
I have gotten to see a movie I very much wanted to see, with a friend I have been wanting to drag to a movie for a while now. The movie was disappointing, but the friend was not.
I tried a new pizza crust mix. It was mediocre, but with some spices it might be redeemed. I got to have rootbeer floats twice this week...happiness.
All in all, I am enjoying the slowness of it, except for those restless moments when I think I might be bored out of my mind, but it doesn't take long for me to find something to do.
And this is my non-profound blog, which gets posted so that my blogging this month will not be entirely about books and Thursday jokes.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Oh, for the love of children's lit! (Literacy 4.5)
To finish the literacy update, I chose to keep the easy ones for the end
I talked to my cousin recently, and she was telling me that her daughter, who is about to turn seven, has experienced a serious spurt in book love. She has surpassed her reading level, and my cousin was discussing the need for more advanced, still appropriate books. As I thought about it, I realized, there are so many excellent books in the childrens section! Fortunately for me, this young reader's birthday is coming up, which is a perfect excuse to buy her the delights of my childhood. I bought them, and then... they sat there, just staring at me, asking me, "Are you really going to send us away without a read?" And of course, I couldn't say no! I hope the my first cousin once removed doesn't mind that I took a run through her books, but it seemed a shame to send her books that I could only vaguely remember the plot of.
The first was actually a new book to me: Good Job, Kanani by Lisa Yee. It is an American Girl book about a modern day girl living in Hawaii (Actually, this series is part of the American Girl Today section). It is the second book in the series, which I got because, my little cousin has already devoured the 1st one, and I remember how longingly I waited for the next book in each American Girl series I read. Apparently, in the first book, Kanani's cousin from New York came to visit, and while she was there they rescued a Hawaiian seal, which is an endangered species. In Good Job, Kanani Kanani has decided to raise money to protect the seals, and raise awareness, by running her Dad's snow cone cart with her best friend, Celina. Celina has her heart set on learning to surf with Kanani this summer. Kanani is not very good, and quite honestly, surfing scares her. Then a new girl, Jo, who is good at surfing enters the picture, and begins surfing with Celina. The strains cause the girls to pull apart, but neither friend is willing to discuss it, and so the chasm grows. I enjoyed the story, and it held the same feel that the American Girl books did that I grew up on. At first, I was disappointed that it was not a historic story, as I didn't feel there would be much education available in a modern day story aside from "be nice to your friends" but the book held a lot of information about the Hawaiian culture, which impressed me. Of course, everything ends happily and leaves the reader with the insatiable "I can do anything" sort of optimism, both of which hold true to the American Girl genre I know. While it isn't a book I suggest adults rush out and buy or else miss out on something amazing, it also isn't a book I would say "Don't do it" about. It was good, it held my interest, and it was quick. If the adult had a young friend looking for reading material, it would provide an opportunity for the young friend to feel like they had a common topic of interest to discuss with the adult. My Granny used to read books at my reading level, especially my American Girl books, and having those books available to discuss as equals and sharing "inside" jokes from the stories were real bond builders for us. (Think this review is rivaling the length of the book!)
The second book is one of my childhood favorites: Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty MacDonald. I could make the longest review on this book, simply because of the love I have held for it, and its following series since early childhood. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle lives in an upside down house, and has a hump on her back which children think holds all of her magic, she lets children dig for buried treasure in her backyard, and little girls brush and braid her long hair for as long as they want, and wears the hairstyle all day, afterward. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle loves children as real, legitimate people, rather than just second class people who might grow up into legitimate people, and she sees the good in even the worst of children, because according to her, bad behaviors are either just a disease or a bad habit, both of which can be cured. Her methods for curing these behaviors are clever, and always shocking to parents, but they always work. Each book, including the first one, is a series of 4-5 stories about different kids and their behaviors, and each story has interlinking details from another story. For example, Violet, in the story about Henry and his behavioral problem, is very well behaved, but we all know that two stories ago, she had a horrible temper tantrum disease, and in another story, we will see that Henry is quite well behaved while Dick suffers the never-sharing habit. It allows for the underlying thought that while everyone can succumb to bad behavior, it doesn't mean they are bad to the core. Truly, in each story, there really is no actual bad guy, just another kid who needs a lesson. I read portions of it out loud to my Mom, and two teenage siblings, and it had all of us, at one point or another, in giggles. It is just plain good stuff. If you haven't read it, or haven't read it in a while, pick it up!
And third: Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary. I had so much fun reading this book. When I read it as a child, I remember siding with Beezuz, because Ramona was such a problem while her sister was trying so hard. To be honest, I still mostly sided with Beezus. The difference is, this time, the trouble Ramona caused was so funny! When I was younger, the trouble Ramona caused was not cute or funny, but serious business, because as an older sister, I knew for a fact that the older sister would be getting in trouble for the younger sister's trouble. This read, I couldn't believe how cute and funny it was. I was torn, rooting for both Beezuz and Ramona. The only thing that I am sad about is that I didn't buy the whole Beverly Cleary series for my young cousin, because now, I would really like to read the rest of them! Again, if you haven't read this book yet, rush to the store and start it while you wait in line to pay for it! If you read it a long time ago, read it again, it's good for the soul!
And that my blogfriends, is my conclusion of story corner, and the end of April's Literacy report. Now, I really need to get going on May's reading, or there will be very little to report then!
The first was actually a new book to me: Good Job, Kanani by Lisa Yee. It is an American Girl book about a modern day girl living in Hawaii (Actually, this series is part of the American Girl Today section). It is the second book in the series, which I got because, my little cousin has already devoured the 1st one, and I remember how longingly I waited for the next book in each American Girl series I read. Apparently, in the first book, Kanani's cousin from New York came to visit, and while she was there they rescued a Hawaiian seal, which is an endangered species. In Good Job, Kanani Kanani has decided to raise money to protect the seals, and raise awareness, by running her Dad's snow cone cart with her best friend, Celina. Celina has her heart set on learning to surf with Kanani this summer. Kanani is not very good, and quite honestly, surfing scares her. Then a new girl, Jo, who is good at surfing enters the picture, and begins surfing with Celina. The strains cause the girls to pull apart, but neither friend is willing to discuss it, and so the chasm grows. I enjoyed the story, and it held the same feel that the American Girl books did that I grew up on. At first, I was disappointed that it was not a historic story, as I didn't feel there would be much education available in a modern day story aside from "be nice to your friends" but the book held a lot of information about the Hawaiian culture, which impressed me. Of course, everything ends happily and leaves the reader with the insatiable "I can do anything" sort of optimism, both of which hold true to the American Girl genre I know. While it isn't a book I suggest adults rush out and buy or else miss out on something amazing, it also isn't a book I would say "Don't do it" about. It was good, it held my interest, and it was quick. If the adult had a young friend looking for reading material, it would provide an opportunity for the young friend to feel like they had a common topic of interest to discuss with the adult. My Granny used to read books at my reading level, especially my American Girl books, and having those books available to discuss as equals and sharing "inside" jokes from the stories were real bond builders for us. (Think this review is rivaling the length of the book!)
The second book is one of my childhood favorites: Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty MacDonald. I could make the longest review on this book, simply because of the love I have held for it, and its following series since early childhood. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle lives in an upside down house, and has a hump on her back which children think holds all of her magic, she lets children dig for buried treasure in her backyard, and little girls brush and braid her long hair for as long as they want, and wears the hairstyle all day, afterward. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle loves children as real, legitimate people, rather than just second class people who might grow up into legitimate people, and she sees the good in even the worst of children, because according to her, bad behaviors are either just a disease or a bad habit, both of which can be cured. Her methods for curing these behaviors are clever, and always shocking to parents, but they always work. Each book, including the first one, is a series of 4-5 stories about different kids and their behaviors, and each story has interlinking details from another story. For example, Violet, in the story about Henry and his behavioral problem, is very well behaved, but we all know that two stories ago, she had a horrible temper tantrum disease, and in another story, we will see that Henry is quite well behaved while Dick suffers the never-sharing habit. It allows for the underlying thought that while everyone can succumb to bad behavior, it doesn't mean they are bad to the core. Truly, in each story, there really is no actual bad guy, just another kid who needs a lesson. I read portions of it out loud to my Mom, and two teenage siblings, and it had all of us, at one point or another, in giggles. It is just plain good stuff. If you haven't read it, or haven't read it in a while, pick it up!
And third: Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary. I had so much fun reading this book. When I read it as a child, I remember siding with Beezuz, because Ramona was such a problem while her sister was trying so hard. To be honest, I still mostly sided with Beezus. The difference is, this time, the trouble Ramona caused was so funny! When I was younger, the trouble Ramona caused was not cute or funny, but serious business, because as an older sister, I knew for a fact that the older sister would be getting in trouble for the younger sister's trouble. This read, I couldn't believe how cute and funny it was. I was torn, rooting for both Beezuz and Ramona. The only thing that I am sad about is that I didn't buy the whole Beverly Cleary series for my young cousin, because now, I would really like to read the rest of them! Again, if you haven't read this book yet, rush to the store and start it while you wait in line to pay for it! If you read it a long time ago, read it again, it's good for the soul!
And that my blogfriends, is my conclusion of story corner, and the end of April's Literacy report. Now, I really need to get going on May's reading, or there will be very little to report then!
Thursday, May 5, 2011
5 things for the 5th day of the 5th month
1. Last night, I finished the book bag I have been working on for a few days now, and then, with the leftover fabric, finished a simpler book bag in 2 hours. I feel accomplished!
2. I still have one more sewing project I am hoping to get done before the weekend!
3. I haven't even started a book for this month (Unless you count the Amelia Bedelia trio I started and finished within an hour. I loved those books as a kid!), but I am excited to give The Thornbirds a shot, as well as Jossy Chacko's Madness.
4. I am truly excited to get to hang out with my gals this weekend. (Rachel, Merida, and Merida's sister: Amanda) We have so much fun together, and we have such great plans for the weekend, that I have been blurting to others about it like a child giving the Christmas countdown!
5. Lucky for me, the 5th day of the 5th month happens to be a Thursday, so I get to cheat and use a joke for my 5th thing!
The Joke
While attending a convention, three psychiatrists decide to take a
walk.
walk.
"People are always coming to us with their guilt and fears,"
one says, "but we have no one to go to with our own problems."
one says, "but we have no one to go to with our own problems."
"Since we're all professionals," another suggests, "why don't we hear each other out right now?" They agreed this is a good idea.
The first psychiatrist confesses, "I'm a compulsive shopper and deeply in debt, so I usually overbill my patients as often as I can."
The second admits, "I have a drug problem that's out of control, and I frequently pressure my patients into buying illegal drugs for me."
The third psychiatrist says, "I know it's wrong, but no matter how hard I try, I just can't keep a secret."
Happy 5th day of the 5th month, and happy Thursday.
Thanks for stopping by!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Wowza, Literacy, 4
So, I have been putting off this update on my literacy challenge for April mainly because I do not want to type this much. The number looks pretty impressive, until you realize that 3 of the books were books I got for my cousin Keira, who will be 7 this months, and 2 of the books were easy-but interesting- reads from the Young Adult section. All tallied, I finished 9 books this month, which definitely breaks my record of 3. Of those 9 books, 2 were old favorites, and 6 were new to me, one was... a hover book.
We've got a lot of books to run through, so let's get this party started, in order of being finished, first to last.
Parrot and Olivier in America by Peter Carey- This is a book I found in Costco. I am a fan of Costco's book section, because while the rest of the world is selling this book for $16, I got it for $8. This book tells the story of two different men, one-Olivier- a young, born and bred French aristocrat, fleeing from yet another revolution in France. The second man-Parrot- an old, seasoned servant, born and English man, but well traveled. Olivier is sent by his mother to America, post Revolutionary war, pre Civil war. Parrot is sent as his manservant to protect Olivier, and to spy on his doings and report back to Olivier's mother. While it takes a long time for the story to even get both characters in America, the story really seems to be a reflection of what America as a new country means to the two different classes. For Olivier, raised in a life only below that of royalty, America means stepping down in class. Because there really is no aristocracy in America yet, suddenly, he finds high-end middle class men (farmers turned bankers and such)approaching him as an equal. Parrot, on the other hand, being a servant who has managed to get an education, has the opportunity to step from the bottom rung of society to the middle. The story is told in chapters alternating between the narratives of Parrot and Olivier, which is often entertaining to hear both character's honest and opposite perspectives of the same situations. The story also starts in each of the men's boyhoods, gradually working up to the "present" story of the men as adults, making us understand the reason the men think and behave as they do, which really makes us close to both characters. Peter Carey writes in such a style that there were times I could have sworn Parrot and Olivier was written 100-200 years ago. It feels like a classic. The prose is beautiful. I had to stop and look up 5 words I did not know(that's a good number, enough to make me feel like I'm getting educated, but not enough for me to get irritated about having to find the dictionary again). The place where it veers from its classic vibe is in its sexual references: they are a little more brazen that Charles Dickens might have stated. Because of this, I would not recommend this book for a teenager. They are not elicit, however, there is enough detail to let one's imagination finish the picture. As far as sexual references are found in adult literature, this is probably as tactful as a non-Christian, modern author gets. With all of this stated, I truly enjoyed this book, the story was interesting and vivid, the plot twists just enough, and the end is bittersweet. Would I recommend this book? For readers older than 20, yes.
Next up!
Out of Ashes by Keith Phillips. This book is a look at the deeper cause of the LA riots, but even more than that, it is a call to care about our inner cities. It tells true stories about people who grew up in some of the most dangerous parts of the inner city. It explains why pulling oneself up by the bootstraps is not often available to the people the expression is applied to. It also gives a few examples of the different perspectives that people have depending on where they live, and why. Dr. Keith Phillips has been working in LA since the Watts riots. He is the founder of World Impact and in this book he also explains why certain tactics of ministry work and why others fail. For those of you involved in Compassion International ministries, you may find this book interesting, as they hold many of the same ministry beliefs. This book is a good combination of stories (I nearly cried during some) and strategies, leaving the reader not only understanding the problem, which many books do, but also offering ideas towards solution (which I find many "call to action" books forget). This book is well worth the read, and yes, I would recommend it! (And it is a quick read)
Holes by Louis Sachar- This book is a book that was popular when I was "too old" to be reading it, meaning early teens, but the kids 9 years younger than myself where required to read it in 4-6th grade, and were raving about it. I have always told myself, one day I'll snag it from one of my siblings or their friends, but I never managed to do it. Lately, I have been searching for it, because I really enjoyed the movie. When I found it on sale at Borders, I snagged it. It was enjoyable. The movie followed the story pretty closely. For those of you who don't know the story: Young outcast, Stanley Yelnats always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. This is so when he is found to be in possession of stolen property. He is given the option of juvenile hall or Camp Greenlakes. He chooses Camp Greenlakes, where the boys spend their entire stay digging holes. None of this would have happened it if weren't for Stanley's No-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing great-great-grandfather, who according to family legend, brought down a curse on the heads of all the men in the family. Stanley doesn't really believe in the curse, but its good to have somebody to blame for all the bad luck he has, occasionally. During his time at Camp Greenlakes, Stanley, often picked on at school, learns to toughen up, builds muscles, builds social skills, and gains friends. The story is quite an entertaining one, a good read for anybody. For parents with boys who are reluctant to read, this would be a good book, because it is not really girlie, and it has boy jokes, and even an old western story woven in. Recommended reading(even for adults)? Yes.
Elephant Run by Roland Smith- This book caught my attention in the independent readers section with its black and green cover, followed by an intriguing name. It is about am adolescent English boy named Nick during WWII, whose mother sends him away from England because of the frequent bombings. She sends him to his father's tea plantation in Burma. When he gets there, it turns out, Burma is not any safer, as almost as soon as he gets there, the Japanese invade. His father's plantation is taken over, and he and his recently made friends are forced into servitude at the plantation, while his father is sent to a Prisoner of War camp, with the threat that if he attempts an escape, harm will come to Nick. Nick realizes that with his own well being being held hostage against his father, it is up to Nick to escape and rescue his father. With the help of an elephant, and his Burmese friends, a dangerous plan is attempted. This story was an interesting one. There were very few times where the story slowed too much. It was good read, with just enough sweet romance to make any preteen girl sigh, but only enough to just satisfy the girls, there is not enough to make a boy throw the book away. The book was contracted, the publisher is Disney, this adult reader found that was evident in the tone of the book the entire time. However, just because it was there does not mean the book was a dud. It is like watching a "made-for-tv-movie" you understand from the beginning that it is of a different caliber. With that understanding, I still enjoyed it, and I think it would be a good read for teenagers, as it does have quite a few educational tidbits in it, but I do not think this book will ever reach "classic literature" status, as Holes has (they came from the same bookshelf, by the way). Ten years down the road, I don't think I'll ever hear anyone say, "Gasp! You never read Elephant Run?!" However, while it is not necessarily a must read, it passed my time pleasurably, and if someone asked me for a light read, Yes, I would suggest Elephant Run.
Bottled Up by Jaye Murray- This is a Goodwill bookstore find, and not a bad one, I might add. It was well worth the 75 cents that caused it to be mine. Phillip, who prefers to be called Pip, is, at first glance, the typical pot head in high school. He skips classes constantly, has a defiant and careless attitude, and really, just goes to school to avoid trouble at home. Pip has a 5 year old brother-Mikey, and while he doesn't want to see Mikey destroyed by their alcoholic father, or start using drugs and alcohol, Pip really resents the fact that because his father is a lunatic, and his nothing of a mother, it falls to "Pip the pothead" to be the most responsible parent available to Mikey. Pip just wants to be left alone, to live in the numbness of marijuana, when a teacher finally loses patience with him and sends him to the principal's office for what turns out to be the last straw. The principal intends to expel Pip, but as the principal reaches to call Pip's parents, sheer terror seizes Pip at the thought of what his father will do to him. He works out a deal with the principal. Pip can stay in school, so long as he shows up to all of his classes, does not get sent back to the principal's office, and attends counseling. When he gets to counseling, he finds out that there is a weekly urine test, and a 3 strike rule, 3 bad tests, and you are out, no more counseling. For Pip, no more counseling means no more school, which means unthinkable trouble at home. The story is mainly about Pip's gradual returning from his haze to face his life, even though it sucks, and understanding that even though Mikey is not his son, and should not be his responsibility, Mikey is his brother, and Pip should care. It is really a good story. This story contains some harsh language, as well as some abusive scenes, but I feel that without the language and the scenes, the story would not have been honest. I am only putting the warning in for any readers looking for something for their teenagers. Honestly, I think, for this book, it really depends on the teenager, however, the language may be a cut off line for most parental guidelines. Every sentence is not laden with foul language. In fact, it is sparsely used, but it is there. If it were a movie, it would probably be rated PG-13. If I were rating the book, I might rate it at PG-16 or 17. With all of that said, I really appreciate this book. It is heart wrenching, and good, having a semi-satisfying ending that was definitely not written by Hallmark. Yes, it was good read.
Whew! Hang in there, blogfriends, that's 5 books down! If you have made it this far, you deserve a reward. You should buy yourself some chocolate! I am going to leave the next three books(all childrens books): Beezus and Ramona, Good Job, Kanani!, and Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle for a later, and much shorter journal. As it turns out, I have already written about the 9th book, in this blog post!
So, you are now free to go find yourself some chocolate! Thanks for reading!
We've got a lot of books to run through, so let's get this party started, in order of being finished, first to last.
Parrot and Olivier in America by Peter Carey- This is a book I found in Costco. I am a fan of Costco's book section, because while the rest of the world is selling this book for $16, I got it for $8. This book tells the story of two different men, one-Olivier- a young, born and bred French aristocrat, fleeing from yet another revolution in France. The second man-Parrot- an old, seasoned servant, born and English man, but well traveled. Olivier is sent by his mother to America, post Revolutionary war, pre Civil war. Parrot is sent as his manservant to protect Olivier, and to spy on his doings and report back to Olivier's mother. While it takes a long time for the story to even get both characters in America, the story really seems to be a reflection of what America as a new country means to the two different classes. For Olivier, raised in a life only below that of royalty, America means stepping down in class. Because there really is no aristocracy in America yet, suddenly, he finds high-end middle class men (farmers turned bankers and such)approaching him as an equal. Parrot, on the other hand, being a servant who has managed to get an education, has the opportunity to step from the bottom rung of society to the middle. The story is told in chapters alternating between the narratives of Parrot and Olivier, which is often entertaining to hear both character's honest and opposite perspectives of the same situations. The story also starts in each of the men's boyhoods, gradually working up to the "present" story of the men as adults, making us understand the reason the men think and behave as they do, which really makes us close to both characters. Peter Carey writes in such a style that there were times I could have sworn Parrot and Olivier was written 100-200 years ago. It feels like a classic. The prose is beautiful. I had to stop and look up 5 words I did not know(that's a good number, enough to make me feel like I'm getting educated, but not enough for me to get irritated about having to find the dictionary again). The place where it veers from its classic vibe is in its sexual references: they are a little more brazen that Charles Dickens might have stated. Because of this, I would not recommend this book for a teenager. They are not elicit, however, there is enough detail to let one's imagination finish the picture. As far as sexual references are found in adult literature, this is probably as tactful as a non-Christian, modern author gets. With all of this stated, I truly enjoyed this book, the story was interesting and vivid, the plot twists just enough, and the end is bittersweet. Would I recommend this book? For readers older than 20, yes.
Next up!
Out of Ashes by Keith Phillips. This book is a look at the deeper cause of the LA riots, but even more than that, it is a call to care about our inner cities. It tells true stories about people who grew up in some of the most dangerous parts of the inner city. It explains why pulling oneself up by the bootstraps is not often available to the people the expression is applied to. It also gives a few examples of the different perspectives that people have depending on where they live, and why. Dr. Keith Phillips has been working in LA since the Watts riots. He is the founder of World Impact and in this book he also explains why certain tactics of ministry work and why others fail. For those of you involved in Compassion International ministries, you may find this book interesting, as they hold many of the same ministry beliefs. This book is a good combination of stories (I nearly cried during some) and strategies, leaving the reader not only understanding the problem, which many books do, but also offering ideas towards solution (which I find many "call to action" books forget). This book is well worth the read, and yes, I would recommend it! (And it is a quick read)
Holes by Louis Sachar- This book is a book that was popular when I was "too old" to be reading it, meaning early teens, but the kids 9 years younger than myself where required to read it in 4-6th grade, and were raving about it. I have always told myself, one day I'll snag it from one of my siblings or their friends, but I never managed to do it. Lately, I have been searching for it, because I really enjoyed the movie. When I found it on sale at Borders, I snagged it. It was enjoyable. The movie followed the story pretty closely. For those of you who don't know the story: Young outcast, Stanley Yelnats always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. This is so when he is found to be in possession of stolen property. He is given the option of juvenile hall or Camp Greenlakes. He chooses Camp Greenlakes, where the boys spend their entire stay digging holes. None of this would have happened it if weren't for Stanley's No-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing great-great-grandfather, who according to family legend, brought down a curse on the heads of all the men in the family. Stanley doesn't really believe in the curse, but its good to have somebody to blame for all the bad luck he has, occasionally. During his time at Camp Greenlakes, Stanley, often picked on at school, learns to toughen up, builds muscles, builds social skills, and gains friends. The story is quite an entertaining one, a good read for anybody. For parents with boys who are reluctant to read, this would be a good book, because it is not really girlie, and it has boy jokes, and even an old western story woven in. Recommended reading(even for adults)? Yes.
Elephant Run by Roland Smith- This book caught my attention in the independent readers section with its black and green cover, followed by an intriguing name. It is about am adolescent English boy named Nick during WWII, whose mother sends him away from England because of the frequent bombings. She sends him to his father's tea plantation in Burma. When he gets there, it turns out, Burma is not any safer, as almost as soon as he gets there, the Japanese invade. His father's plantation is taken over, and he and his recently made friends are forced into servitude at the plantation, while his father is sent to a Prisoner of War camp, with the threat that if he attempts an escape, harm will come to Nick. Nick realizes that with his own well being being held hostage against his father, it is up to Nick to escape and rescue his father. With the help of an elephant, and his Burmese friends, a dangerous plan is attempted. This story was an interesting one. There were very few times where the story slowed too much. It was good read, with just enough sweet romance to make any preteen girl sigh, but only enough to just satisfy the girls, there is not enough to make a boy throw the book away. The book was contracted, the publisher is Disney, this adult reader found that was evident in the tone of the book the entire time. However, just because it was there does not mean the book was a dud. It is like watching a "made-for-tv-movie" you understand from the beginning that it is of a different caliber. With that understanding, I still enjoyed it, and I think it would be a good read for teenagers, as it does have quite a few educational tidbits in it, but I do not think this book will ever reach "classic literature" status, as Holes has (they came from the same bookshelf, by the way). Ten years down the road, I don't think I'll ever hear anyone say, "Gasp! You never read Elephant Run?!" However, while it is not necessarily a must read, it passed my time pleasurably, and if someone asked me for a light read, Yes, I would suggest Elephant Run.
Bottled Up by Jaye Murray- This is a Goodwill bookstore find, and not a bad one, I might add. It was well worth the 75 cents that caused it to be mine. Phillip, who prefers to be called Pip, is, at first glance, the typical pot head in high school. He skips classes constantly, has a defiant and careless attitude, and really, just goes to school to avoid trouble at home. Pip has a 5 year old brother-Mikey, and while he doesn't want to see Mikey destroyed by their alcoholic father, or start using drugs and alcohol, Pip really resents the fact that because his father is a lunatic, and his nothing of a mother, it falls to "Pip the pothead" to be the most responsible parent available to Mikey. Pip just wants to be left alone, to live in the numbness of marijuana, when a teacher finally loses patience with him and sends him to the principal's office for what turns out to be the last straw. The principal intends to expel Pip, but as the principal reaches to call Pip's parents, sheer terror seizes Pip at the thought of what his father will do to him. He works out a deal with the principal. Pip can stay in school, so long as he shows up to all of his classes, does not get sent back to the principal's office, and attends counseling. When he gets to counseling, he finds out that there is a weekly urine test, and a 3 strike rule, 3 bad tests, and you are out, no more counseling. For Pip, no more counseling means no more school, which means unthinkable trouble at home. The story is mainly about Pip's gradual returning from his haze to face his life, even though it sucks, and understanding that even though Mikey is not his son, and should not be his responsibility, Mikey is his brother, and Pip should care. It is really a good story. This story contains some harsh language, as well as some abusive scenes, but I feel that without the language and the scenes, the story would not have been honest. I am only putting the warning in for any readers looking for something for their teenagers. Honestly, I think, for this book, it really depends on the teenager, however, the language may be a cut off line for most parental guidelines. Every sentence is not laden with foul language. In fact, it is sparsely used, but it is there. If it were a movie, it would probably be rated PG-13. If I were rating the book, I might rate it at PG-16 or 17. With all of that said, I really appreciate this book. It is heart wrenching, and good, having a semi-satisfying ending that was definitely not written by Hallmark. Yes, it was good read.
Whew! Hang in there, blogfriends, that's 5 books down! If you have made it this far, you deserve a reward. You should buy yourself some chocolate! I am going to leave the next three books(all childrens books): Beezus and Ramona, Good Job, Kanani!, and Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle for a later, and much shorter journal. As it turns out, I have already written about the 9th book, in this blog post!
So, you are now free to go find yourself some chocolate! Thanks for reading!
Monday, May 2, 2011
Pray for the fish...
In this blog, I will be providing a soundtrack, however I am just lazy enough to not want to figure out how to make music play artfully, so you will have to just click play on this youtube link:
Yesterday, my baby brother was baptized. James hates it when I call him "baby brother" and that may very well be why I do it. In the past couple of months, I have seen a real change in him, not only in his behavior, but in his attitude and approach to life.
James is the sixth and last child in the family. With 3 brothers ahead of him, seven years younger than the next oldest boy in the family, he's got a lot of trouble to live up to, and he has given it his best effort. Watching him be a teenager, I have often thought of him as "The Last Hurrah" and I have jokingly told Mom that the trouble he causes is just his way of trying to make sure that his older siblings left no stone unturned.
When I heard he was going to be baptized, I was concerned he was just doing it because a group of friends was doing it, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt, because of the recent positive changes I have noticed him making lately. At dinner the night before, I teased that we should "Pray for the fish" (and also that he should put koolaid powder in his pockets so the water would change colors... we did neither).
When Pastor Danny got up there and started questioning James, however, I realized that this decision was more than just something his friends were doing. Pastor Danny asked James what God had been doing in his life recently, and why he wanted to be baptized. While the rest of the church may have seen him falter, may have complained that he was talking too quietly, may have heard disconnected words string into sentences that meant little to them, I saw my ham of a brother, who is never at a loss for words, never afraid of an audience, never quiet, never shy, and never short of a story make a difficult and broken confession. "I have... um... messed up... messed a lot of people... and God has been there in my childhood... even then...and I want to be baptized to publicly show that...um... I... I want to be... I want to live better... like a Christian shou...like... " like Jesus... His voice broke, and while he didn't cry, he didn't manage to say it. I think the meaning was clear. I had to take a few deep breaths to make that stinging feeling in my eyes go away.
I have prayed so much over James, and I continue to. With this baptism as a milestone, I pray that the novelty doesn't wear off soon, as it so often does with us seasoned and bored Christians.
I am proud of my baby brother. He's turning 16 this month. His actions are beginning to show signs of manhood, not just really tall boyhood. He has worked steadily to bring his grades up through sheer dedication. He has actually begun saving for something that requires a bigger monetary investment than he has ever dared to attempt before. He is beginning to curb his reactions to more even keel responses. That's not to say James has become perfect. He's still human, and still a teenager. He's got plenty of years of rough roads ahead of him, but those bumps and bruises are honest ones.
Last I checked, they don't use the baptismal as a koi pond during off periods, so we probably don't need to pray for the fish, but I'm sure James wouldn't mind your prayers as he embarks on the extremely tough experience of loving Jesus and meaning it.
Yesterday, my baby brother was baptized. James hates it when I call him "baby brother" and that may very well be why I do it. In the past couple of months, I have seen a real change in him, not only in his behavior, but in his attitude and approach to life.
When I heard he was going to be baptized, I was concerned he was just doing it because a group of friends was doing it, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt, because of the recent positive changes I have noticed him making lately. At dinner the night before, I teased that we should "Pray for the fish" (and also that he should put koolaid powder in his pockets so the water would change colors... we did neither).
When Pastor Danny got up there and started questioning James, however, I realized that this decision was more than just something his friends were doing. Pastor Danny asked James what God had been doing in his life recently, and why he wanted to be baptized. While the rest of the church may have seen him falter, may have complained that he was talking too quietly, may have heard disconnected words string into sentences that meant little to them, I saw my ham of a brother, who is never at a loss for words, never afraid of an audience, never quiet, never shy, and never short of a story make a difficult and broken confession. "I have... um... messed up... messed a lot of people... and God has been there in my childhood... even then...and I want to be baptized to publicly show that...um... I... I want to be... I want to live better... like a Christian shou...like... " like Jesus... His voice broke, and while he didn't cry, he didn't manage to say it. I think the meaning was clear. I had to take a few deep breaths to make that stinging feeling in my eyes go away.
 | ||||||
| (Forgive the blurriness. The flash wouldn't work in this area, so it all had to be done on exposure.) |
Last I checked, they don't use the baptismal as a koi pond during off periods, so we probably don't need to pray for the fish, but I'm sure James wouldn't mind your prayers as he embarks on the extremely tough experience of loving Jesus and meaning it.
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