Smoky Night by Eve Bunting, Illustrated by David Diaz

Smoky Night by Eve Bunting
Illustrated by David Diaz
Harcourt Brace & Company
Published in 1994
ISBN 0152699546
40 Pages

PLACES TO BUY FROM:

Amazon (Hardback)
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CHECKED OUT THE BOOK FROM MY PUBLIC LIBRARY.

APART OF THE GOODREADS 2011 READING CHALLENGE.

Review/Rating:

3 out of 5



Ease of Reading Text: 2 out of 5
Illustrations: 2 out of 5
Plot: 5 out of 5

Riots are breaking out in the streets of Los Angeles, and it isn't any different in Daniel's neighborhood. Daniel and his neighbors learn an important lesson after two always fighting cats finally get along.

This picture book is set during an actual historical event, the 1992 Los Angeles riots. Because it uses a historical related event, the plot is very well informed and good because it teaches us and any children who read this book that we should value people and get along, no matter how different we are. Also, it teachers young children about the racial differences we had, and still have, through simple measures.

Even though the plot is very nicely done, the illustrations and how easy you can read the text isn't. The illustrations seem overdone with the textures all over the place, and I paid more attention to the textures instead of the actual drawings. Also, with most of the text, it was over textures that were hard to read black text off of.

Anyways, those were the only two things that I had a problem with in this book. It also has a wonderful lesson for everyone to learn and remember. Though, I have just a word of warning, it has the theme of racism in the book. However, it isn't really that noticeable, if the kid is really young. This is a very good book with an important lesson to learn, no matter how young the child is, but the illustrations and how well you can see/read the text is kind of hard and bleh.

Other Reviews/Author Site:

Eve Bunting
David Diaz
Goodreads: Smoky Night by Eve Bunting, Illustrated by David Diaz
Library Thing: Smoky Night by Eve Bunting, Illustrated by David Diaz
The Rookie's View: Smoky Night by Eve Bunting, Illustrated by David Diaz
Best Children's Books: Smoky Night by Eve Bunting, Illustrated by David Diaz

The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein by Peter Ackroyd

 

The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein by Peter Ackroyd

Nan A. Talese/Doubleday

Published in 2008

ISBN 9780385530842

353 Pages

PLACES TO BUY FROM:

Amazon (Paperback)
Barnes & Noble (Paperback)

CHECKED OUT THE BOOK FROM MY PUBLIC LIBRARY.

APART OF THE GOODREADS 2011 READING CHALLENGE.

2ND REVIEW. 1ST REVIEW IS HERE.

Review/Rating:

4 out of 5



After Victor Frankenstein goes to London to study at Oxford, he meets Percy Bysshe Shelley. They become fast friends, but with Shelley's radical views, will Victor get an idea that will put him on the road to darkness?

This is the second time I'm reviewing this because I want to. :X Actually, I'm re-doing some (most) of my reviews so that I can make them (hopefully) better. With this one, I will compare it to the original a little bit more.

Anyways, in this retelling of Frankenstein, Peter Ackroyd makes it out so that a fictional character actually knows historically accurate people. I still find that part of this part kind of intriguing, and it also made this book rather interesting than if the author just told it through Victor Frankenstein's and a little bit from his monster's perspective. However, now that I read the original, I don't know what perspective is better since they both were interesting, so they both get equal points in that.

Although how both Mary Shelley and Peter Ackroyd told the story gets equal points, the descriptions and the growth of the characters actually goes to Peter Ackroyd. With Mary Shelley's, it is mostly someone re-telling Frankenstein's story as Frankenstein tells him it, so the growth and descriptions really don't have that much to grow. So, basically, I like how Peter Ackroyd tells it because the way he makes the characters grow appeals to me more than the original. Also, in Ackroyd's version, the person who turned out to be the "monster" was someone Victor Frankenstein knew and maybe even friends with. I found that also very interesting and even gave the monster even more of an identity than Shelley's version. The characters are also completely different in Ackroyd's version. It has the same thing happen to a character in each book, but the circumstance and character are off. I also like how Ackroyd did his version in that aspect as well since it had a little bit more depth and development than the original.

Let's see, some other things that are different, but I wish Ackroyd put in his version. In Mary Shelley's version, I actually felt like crying and feeling pity towards both Frankenstein and his monster. However, with Ackroyd's version, it had less emotion. Also, the ending is more disappointing and confusing than the original. The ending in the original is more emotional and appeals more to me.

Now that I had a chance to read the original, I think it would have been better if some of the original's aspects, like some of the emotion, was in this book. So, I rated it a four stars this time because, despite the original re-telling thing, I like the emotion and ending of the original Frankenstein more.

Other Reviews/Author Site:

Peter Ackroyd
Goodreads: The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein by Peter Ackroyd
Library Thing: The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein by Peter Ackroyd
New York Times Book Review: The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein
A Study of Reading Habits: Peter Ackroyd - The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein
Everything of Something: The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein by Peter Ackroyd

The Trojan Horse by Emily Little, Illustrated by Michael Eagle

STEP INTO READING (5) SERIES

The Trojan Horse by Emily Little, Illustrated by Michael Eagle

Random House

Published in 1988

ISBN 0394896742

48 Pages

PLACES TO BUY FROM:

Amazon (Paperback)
Barnes & Noble (Paperback)

I OWN A SINGLE COPY.
BOUGHT AT AMAZON.COM.


APART OF THE GOODREADS 2011 READING CHALLENGE.

Review/Rating:

2 out of 5



A simple retelling of the Trojan War and how the Greeks won this war. The city of Troy lives in wonder, with a stone wall protecting it, while the Greeks live on rocky land and can't grow wheat. In order to get wheat, they have to trade with Asia, but they get past the channel because Troy won't let them pass without paying the toll (gold). After the Trojans kidnap Helen, Menelaus' wife, the Greeks declare war on Troy. The war goes on for years, until the Greeks finally have a plan to defeat Troy, which involves a wooden horse.

It is so simple with the facts and there is no really interesting facts put into the book --- in order to make it more engaging. They pretty much had all the information that you should remember from school. And it feels longer than what the history books mention for the age group of this book. And from what I remember from that age, they mentioned the same information in the history book, but less pictures. Also, even though the illustrations seem to be pretty, there seems to be less than the previous Step Into Reading book I have read. They also look a little bit more bland than the Trail of Tears' illustrations.

I think it would be more interesting if I read it myself, but the purpose of the children's book is to have your children read it to you. However, you help them when they having trouble with a word or page or have questions. Basically, you need to definitely participate reading with them with this one because of the names, but I found it boring. It had too many details of the history for little kids, at least to me, and I would have liked it better if it was told more fictionalized. >.>" Also, go over the pronunciation guide with your child, which is at the book of the book, FIRST before having them read it since most of the words will be hard for them.

Other Reviews/Author Site:

Emily Little
Goodreads: The Trojan Horse by Emily Little, Illustrated by Michael Eagle
Library Thing: The Trojan Horse by Emily Little, Illustrated by Michael Eagle
Collingswood Public Library: The Trojan Horse by Emily Little, Illustrated by Michael Eagle

The Trail of Tears by Joseph Bruchac, Illustrated by Diana Magnuson

STEP INTO READING (5) SERIES

The Trail of Tears by Joseph Bruchac, Illustrated by Diana Magnuson

Random House

Published in 1999

ISBN 0679890521

48 Pages

PLACES TO BUY FROM:

Amazon (Paperback)
Barnes & Noble (Paperback)

I OWN A SINGLE COPY.
BOUGHT AT AMAZON.COM.


APART OF THE GOODREADS 2011 READING CHALLENGE.

Review/Rating:

3 out of 5



Through simple explanation, the author explains the history behind the Trail of Tears and the challenges that the Cherokee Nation faced during this time period. Chief of the Cherokee Nation, John Ross, and his people (17,000) must leave their homes and go west. During this trying time period and journey, a lot of deaths and hardships will befall them.

The information given is pretty much interesting, which one of the reasons why I like the book, and even some of it that I don't even remember. The hardships that they are faced and the history facts are not really watered down, but phrased in a way that won't have your kids ask questions you wouldn't really want to answer when they are still kind of young. If your kids doesn't understand that we have done bad things in the past, you might have some explaining to do. Now some of the interesting information they give are about Cherokee legends of how their people came to be, the legend of the Cherokee Rose, which is thought to come from the Trail of Tears, the Cherokee written language and the newspaper, and some other pieces of information. Basically, it is kind of like a miniature history book with fun and interesting information, but I wouldn't count on it for tests and things like that. Why? Because most schools depend on their history books for making tests. It's also great if you want to give a head start for your kids about the subject before they start on it in school. Another reason why I like this book is because of the illustrations inside the book. They are some pretty, and I liked looking at some of them. :D

The only thing I didn't like the book is the fact that it is non-fiction and why mostly boring in some of the parts, which is the main reason why I rated this book a 3 out of 5. I would have liked the book better if they had a little bit more fiction in it like the Dear America books. However, it is a good little book that will tell your kids about the Trail of Tears before they learn it in school.

I would recommend this book for kids who are having difficult time learning about the Trail of Tears and need a little bit easy way of explaining the basics of what happened during that time. However, I wouldn't depend solely on it for their school projects. Also, make sure you read it with them because some of the words they will have trouble with like the Cherokee language, some state names, some of the names, and that's pretty much it. But, it is pretty much easy to understand.

Other Reviews/Author Site:

Joseph Bruchac
Diana Magnuson
Goodreads: The Trail of Tears by Joseph Bruchac, Illustrated by Diana Magnuson
Library Thing: The Trail of Tears by Joseph Bruchac, Illustrated by Diana Magnuson
Back to Books: The Trail of Tears by Joseph Bruchac, Illustrated by Diana Magnuson

Anastasia: The Last Grand Duchess, Russia, 1914 by Carolyn Meyer

THE ROYAL DIARIES SERIES

Anastasia: The Last Grand Duchess, Russia, 1914 by Carolyn Meyer

Scholastic

Published in 2000

ISBN 0439129087

214 Pages

PLACES TO BUY FROM:

Amazon (Hardcover)
Barnes & Noble (Hardcover)

CHECKED OUT THE BOOK FROM MY PUBLIC LIBRARY.

APART OF THE GOODREADS 2011 READING CHALLENGE.

Review/Rating:

4 out of 5



The story of the very last Grand Duchess of Russia, Anastasia, told through a fictionalized diary by Carolyn Meyer in the Royal Diaries series/line.

Let's start with what urged me to check it out from the library. I decided to checked it out because I just love The Royal Diary series and the Dear America series since I love historical fiction. :D

I know this is for middle school and below, so it won't have all the elements that a young adult or adult book will have, so I will try not to go into the lack of details. For a middle school book, it does have the right amount of details and big words. Though, the one thing I can't forgive is how the diary entries are so out of place in the beginning that it is actually kind of boring, but it gets interesting once War World I starts up. Once those entries show up, it isn't that boring since they come pretty much in order and you can make sense of it. Yeah, so that is only thing I really don't like about the book, and that is the only reason why it is a 4 star instead of a 5 star. ;)

Now for the things I loved. I just loved how you can tell the author did her research over the matter, and she tried to keep it as accurate as she possibly can. Also, you can almost imagine how it might of felt like to live during World War I as Anastasia --- or, maybe, as any young, rich noble girl in Russia. Second thing I loved is that you can almost sense almost the kind of personality Anastasia might of have --- the mischievousness and playfulness almost pop out of the pages. And like all the Royal Diaries, I like the history notes, pictures, and other information the books usually come with. Also, I like how both the Royal Diaries and the Dear America books are pretty much fast reads --- I finished this one in pretty much 1-2 days. :D Oh, I also love the historical aspects of the books. :)

While like with most of the Royal Diaries or Dear America books, if you know the history, it already kind of spoils it, but what really makes these books special is how the authors in those series can pull off how a young teenager might have felt during that time and give that person a personality you can imagine relating to. So, despite being an adult, I still enjoy these book series because of the history and the other things I mentioned above.

Other Reviews/Author Site:

Carolyn Meyer
Goodreads: Anastasia: The Last Grand Duchess, Russia, 1914 by Carolyn Meyer
Library Thing: Anastasia: The Last Grand Duchess, Russia, 1914 by Carolyn Meyer
The Book Lover: Anastasia: The Last Grand Duchess, Russia, 1914 by Carolyn Meyer

Traveller by Richard Adams

 

Traveller by Richard Adams

Alfred A. Knopf

Published in 1988

ISBN 0394570553

270 Pages

PLACES TO BUY FROM:

Currently out of print.

CHECKED OUT THE BOOK FROM MY PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Review/Rating:

5 out of 5



The Civil War, not only a time of despair and strong emotions for men and women fighting/helping the war, but for the animals as well. As told through the eyes of Robert E. Lee's horse, Traveller, to a cat named Tom.

I love history novels or novels that are shaped around history --- like this novel and the Dear America books. :) If history fiction novels aren't your cup of tea, then I suggest not reading it. :| Though, I hope you will since I love how it is told through the point of view of Traveller, General Robert E. Lee's horse. :D

The thing I liked the most about the book is how creative the author was by telling the story and a piece a history through the eyes of an animal --- and managed to make Traveller seem human. Also, I liked how Traveller sounds like a grandpa telling a war story, forgetting some things, not getting parts accurate, changes the subject towards the end or the middle; and Tom seems kind of like the grandchild who asks questions, changes the subjects, falls asleep towards the end of it, and things like that. Another thing I like was the amount of details and the characters' personalities. :D

Some things that I didn't like were how the novel got really boring during some parts of Traveller's telling. :( It really felt like a grandpa boring me to sleep. I would have finished this book sooner if the book went into less details about pretty much all the battles. >.>" Other than this one thing, I think this book is pretty good. :P

Though, warning, it is in a Southern dialect, so it might be a little hard to read. ;)

Other Reviews/Author Site:

Richard Adams
Goodreads: Traveller by Richard Adams
Library Thing: Traveller by Richard Adams

Wicked Girls by Stephanie Hemphill

 

Wicked Girls by Stephanie Hemphill

Balzer + Bray (Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers)

Published in 2010

ISBN 9780061853289

408 Pages

PLACES TO BUY FROM:

Amazon (Hardcover)
Barnes & Noble (Hardcover)

CHECKED OUT THE BOOK FROM MY PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Review/Rating:

2 out of 5



In the village of Salem, during the 1690's, several young women accuse many people of being witches -- which is now known as the Salem Witch Trials. In Wicked Girls, this book is told from the perspective from the lead girls: Ann Putnam Jr., Mercy Lewis, and Margaret Walcott. Each having their own reason for doing so, they have to decide whether or not it is too late to tell the truth.

I really don't know what to say about this book without revealing too much about the book and spoiling it. However, like with most historical fiction books, if you know the history and the book is completely based on it, you already know how it will end. :( Well, that's how it is with this novel, but it is still kind of interesting. ;) I'll just compare this novel with the one I read back in high school. :|

Compared to The Crucible by Arthur Miller, which is a play and considered "non-fiction", Wicked Girls is told by three of the girls and is a fiction novel. Also, the person who leads the group of girls is different, it's Abigail Williams in The Crucible, and in Wicked Girls, Ann Putnam Jr. starts it, but it ends with Mercy Lewis leading them. There is also a difference in who seem to pity in them, in Wicked Girls, you pity the girls, and in The Crucible, you pity the people the girls accuse. I don't remember, but you also see a new side to how the girls are treated after they put an end to the accusing. In The Crucible, I don't think the author ends the accusing in the actual play part. Also, I think you don't even meet Isaac Farraer, the guy that Margaret Walcott marries, in The Crucible. As you can tell from the comparisons, there are some very distinct differences between books, even though they have the same topic.

Personally, I didn't really like this book, but I like the idea behind the book. However, it felt like something was missing from the book -- it could have used more substance, action, and plot. The way it was left and how it was written made it feel like one of the Dear America books, but lacked the descriptions and substance the Dear America books have. I definitely would have liked it even more if it expanded it with more description and substance to it. >.>" Oh, by the way, I finished this book in one day, that's how short, unfulfilled, and (a little) interesting it feels like. Also, it felt more like a junior fiction book, like how the Dear America books are, than a young adult book, despite having a little sex scene in it. >.< However, that scene didn't go that into detail, so you don't have to worry about it too much. ^^ I also hated how it was in verse format. Don't know why, but I just didn't like it. ^^;

The idea is worth reading, but the lack of descriptions, details, and action makes it feel too incomplete and short. >.>" Read at your own risk. ^^; It would have been rated an one if it weren't for the idea behind the book, but no higher than a two because the author failed to pull it off with the lack of the things I mentioned

Other Reviews/Author Site:

Stephanie Hemphill
Goodreads: Wicked Girls by Stephanie Hemphill
Library Thing: Wicked Girls by Stephanie Hemphill
Book Envy: Wicked Girls by Stephanie Hemphill
Simply Books: Wicked Girls by Stephanie Hemphill
My Reading Room: Wicked Girls by Stephanie Hemphill
Book Whisperer: Wicked Girls by Stephanie Hemphill
Dog-eared and Well-read: Wicked Girls by Stephanie Hemphill