show is better than the book … but I still might read ahead
Remember when we all read Harry Potter #3 or #4 and they were all such whiny tweenagers? Thshow is better than the book … but I still might read ahead
Remember when we all read Harry Potter #3 or #4 and they were all such whiny tweenagers? That is the three main characters here. Plus every single other character is dumpy, ratty and smelly except the illustrious owner of the Fittes outfit (and all very white) and while it ekes out a pass on the Bechdel test this round it’s a near thing. All to say, this needed a punch-up that someone in Hollywood provided. That being said, as bored as I was reading this, having watched the superior show, I want to know what happens next and might not wait for the show (which I thought I had waited ages to watch but it was really only a few months from release - sigh)....more
Read after watching the Netflix show and realizing the author wrote the Bartimaius Trilogy which I loved. This was a fun fun and spooky middle reader
Read after watching the Netflix show and realizing the author wrote the Bartimaius Trilogy which I loved. This was a fun and light (as scary as my tolerance can handle, so maybe this’ll be my October reading) tale perfect for middle readers. Most annoying trope: characters who don’t tell their supposed colleagues critical info....more
Read for Oregon Battle of the Books w/the kiddo - really good kids book about immigration, Jewish life/European diaspora, worker's rights/strikes, CubaRead for Oregon Battle of the Books w/the kiddo - really good kids book about immigration, Jewish life/European diaspora, worker's rights/strikes, Cuba and the rise of fascism prior to WWII This prompted some great convos with the kiddo...more
There's a lot of 'gee-whiz' 'aw-shucks' look and feel to this tale which I didn't understand till reading the background information included in the eThere's a lot of 'gee-whiz' 'aw-shucks' look and feel to this tale which I didn't understand till reading the background information included in the end... eventually it charmed me but initially it felt unsophisticated. To that end, I wish the explanatory piece was a foreword rather than an afterword because it increased my appreciation for the tale several-fold. This is actually a retelling/adaptation of a radio program that was truly delivered in the mid 1940's when the Klan was resurging (and turning into a money-making business rather than just a disorganized mob) and anti-Asian sentiment had peaked with Pearl Harbor, written and performed by several anti-Klan journalists and Jewish writers as a direct challenge to the Klan's alarming rise in popularity. Superman, the pre-eminent model of American exceptionalism was, after-all from Krypton and more alien than any human on earth. And when he accepts his differences as strengths and supports the many members of the community moving out of ethnic enclaves and into the traditionally white cities and suburbs (due to the post WWII G.I. Bill) by proclaiming his alien-ness, the moral gauntlet is thrown. It's a children's story but it had a profound effect on America and the Klan at the time, as it did on Gene Luen Yang who brings the story to life here and shares the parallels to his family journey in the afterward as well. It's an incomplete tale of course, just as the G.I. Bill was incomplete in its equitable delivery (Black servicemen were specifically excluded e.g.) but it gave me hope --- and it was an incredibly relevant year for the tale to be revisited (published in total in 2020). ...more
really great middle-reader story with an imperfect (and deeply-feeling) tween figuring out some of what she wants (in a friend, in her aspirations) anreally great middle-reader story with an imperfect (and deeply-feeling) tween figuring out some of what she wants (in a friend, in her aspirations) and how to be a good friend. Love that it takes place with PDX's Rose City Rollers & that the content works well for a younger crowd as well (read with my almost 7-year old)...more
Cute, light middle-grade graphic novel in the DC Universe about two junior-high supers (one who wants to be a super hero and one who is already a deceCute, light middle-grade graphic novel in the DC Universe about two junior-high supers (one who wants to be a super hero and one who is already a decent villain/thief) who trade bodies accidentally and have to learn how to appreciate each other and accept themselves. Decent diversity and great matriarchs as a bonus....more
This was a great pre-adolescent tale of Diana, appropriate for young and middle graders about what makes a true friend, and when to listen to your eldThis was a great pre-adolescent tale of Diana, appropriate for young and middle graders about what makes a true friend, and when to listen to your elders (and when to take responsibility for yourself and act). Good stuff on loneliness (Diana is the only child on the island after all!), growing up, and knowing your own value. ...more
Wrapped up in a bow but it was a very sweet bow. This is definitely middle-reader stuff: no one gets truly hurt and everyone makes nice in the end. ThWrapped up in a bow but it was a very sweet bow. This is definitely middle-reader stuff: no one gets truly hurt and everyone makes nice in the end. That being said, it was a great idea and has a few decent morals. This series was apparently always meant to end here so if it seems pat, well that’s perhaps cause I’m used to things being drawn out until cancelled rather than planning a beginning, middle and ending. Willa tries to change the world back, discovers a few wrinkles in her plan (and the world as she knows it), decides to make the world better regardless, and saves a lot of people in the meantime. ...more
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