Literature Young Adult Fiction » 2.5-3 Treasure Chests

Review: If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where’s My Prince? by Melissa Kantor

First Mate Keira — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 09:14:08 +0000

Reviewed by First Mate Keira

Title: If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince?
Author: Melissa Kantor
Format: Hardback
Page Count: 283 pages
Grade Reading Level: Grades 7-9

Summary: Lucy Norton is a modern day Cinderella. Forced to move from San Francisco to Long Island because of her dad’s remarriage, she’s struggling to find her balance in a life she doesn’t want. With her dad constantly out of state due to work, it’s a lot harder than it should be. Her stepmom asks like a totally different person when he’s not around. It’s clear the stepmom wants to be rid of her. Add in her two wicked little stepsisters and Lucy’s just wondering where the heck her prince is to complete the fairy tale.

Why I started this book:

Goodreads recommended it to me based on my TBR pile.

Likes:

I like how Lucy comes to the rescue for her twin stepsisters in the book. It was a smart move on the stepsisters part to call someone to get them out of trouble. Kids take note! Ever find yourself somewhere you don’t want to be make that phone call.
I like that Lucy shares a strong interest in common with each of the guy’s she likes and that like her back. Conner Pearson (most popular guy at school, but who’s too old for her) is on the basketball team and Lucy is crazy about basketball. While Lucy and Sam Wolff share a passion for art – creating it and discussing other artists.
I appreciated the fact that the friendships she makes with two girls while she’s popular stick with her when she’s no longer dating the popular boy.

Dislikes:

I was hoping for a stepmom would appeared horrible but really wasn’t. But she actually is and it’s kind of an unfair reputation. Not all stepmoms are wicked, just this one. She refused to furnish or let Lucy furnish her room until it benefited her to have it done when a friend would need to use it, honed in on all the daughter’s phone time with her dad instead of waiting for them to be done, punished or reprimanded her for small infractions while letting her own daughters get away with everything, it’s a huge double standard.
Oh and at one point at a party she forces Lucy to dress up like the help and take people’s coats and serve them food without bothering to introduce her as her husband’s daughter. Seriously? The father lets her get away with that and that’s just wrong!

Buy: If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince?

Rating: 3 Treasure Chests

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Movie Review: Beastly starring Vanessa Hudgens and Alex Pettyfer

First Mate Keira — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:19:21 +0000

by First Mate Keira

Title: Beastly
Director: Daniel Barnz
Duration: 86 minutes
Rating: PG-13

Summary: Kyle Kingsbury is a vain and arrogant young boy. He really steps in it when he unknowingly meets and antagonizes a witch at school going by Kendra. On the night of a school dance he’s bewitched to appear as ugly on the outside as he is on the inside. His one saving grace is the fact that he gave a scholarship girl the rose corsage he intended for his date. That one good deed buys him a chance to get out of his beastly predicament… but it’s got a time limit. Can he find someone to love and love him in return before a year is up?

Why I watched this movie:

I read the book last year when I heard it was coming out in theaters. I love Beauty and the Beast stories.

Likes:

I loved Alex Pettyfer. I thought he did really well. He’s what made the movie for me. He and Vanessa work together best during the ending sequence when she discovers who he really was all along. I liked seeing them travel the world together in the little montage.
The makeup for the movie is fantastic. I much prefer the wild tattoos and scars over a hairy form. In a cartoon, it would and did work, but it would look fake or very Cousin It. I confirmed for sure that his eyebrows say embrace suck. Embrace suck a phrase used in the movie at the beginning by both Kyle and Kendra.
Neil Patrick Harris is funny in his part as the blind tutor. He could have been used more, but that’s just me.

Toss-Up:

I liked the housekeeper getting green cards at the end of the film for her children. However, the housekeeper was supposed to be another form of the witch, Kendra, and this was changed from the book to the movie.

Dislikes:

I didn’t really like Mary-Kate Olsen in the film. She looked like how I pictured the character, but she was weird or made the character overly weird for me.
The movie lacks the charm of the book overall and has some awkward dialogue/scenes that don’t fit as well as they could.

Buy: Beastly

Rating: 3 Treasure Chests

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Review: Heck: Where the Bad Kids Go (The Nine Circles of Heck, Book 1) by Dale E. Basye

First Mate Keira — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 09:37:32 +0000

Reviewed by First Mate Keira

Title: Heck: Where the Bad Kids Go (The Nine Circles of Heck, Book 1)
Author: Dale E. Basye
Format: Hardback
Page Count: 304 pages
Grade Reading Level: Ages 9-12

Summary: The afterlife isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. A bureaucratic error sends Milton down to Heck with his sister Marlo. There’s no way he deserves to be here – just look at his file – one measly little Post-It note saying he was duped by his kleptomaniac sister into stealing right before they died. But as Milton learns, it’s not your first impression that counts the most in the afterlife but your last.

Why I started this book:

They die in a marshmallow explosion! The humor of this book drew me in and I checked it out from the library.

Likes:

There is a lot of humor in the story from the infamous marshmallow explosion to acronym fun to a toad like principal named Bea Elsa Bubb and her three headed tiny canine.
Milton and Marlo’s sibling relationship – are they fighting each other or for each other? It’s typical but loving.
I like how it ends. I like that some characters were willing to sacrifice a chance of escape to ensure one got away. Surely that means they’re redeemable and/or redeemed right?
The bully reminds me a lot of Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter. Love it!

Dislikes:

Some of the world building didn’t sit right with me because it seemed like small infractions were being punished endlessly and I’m guessing that’s why Milton is down there to right these wrongs, but I don’t know for sure.
Also I think some references might be more for adults than younger readers when the author refers to certain famous dead people, but I could be wrong. I love that Nixon teaching ethics, but do kids know why it's so funny?

Buy: Heck: Where the Bad Kids Go

Rating: 3 Treasure Chests

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Review: A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

First Mate Keira — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 05:40:33 +0000

by First Mate Keira

Title: A Little Princess
Author: Frances Hodgson Burnett
Format: Hardback
Page Count: 266 pages
Grade Reading Level: Grades 4-8

Summary: Sara Crewe, a little girl who grew up in India is taken to London by her father to attend Miss Minchin’s Seminary for Girls. Sara must learn to live on her own and navigate the schoolroom and its students. Good thing she’s good at storytelling, playing pretend and supposing or life would be tough for this odd little heiress.

Why I started this book:

I have loved the 1995 movie for ages and ages. Heard it was a book (how did this escape me?) and decided to pick it up and read it.

Likes:

It’s surprisingly easy to read and while there are a few big words here and there that might slip the grasp of a younger child, it is a breeze to get through. A rarity I’ve found in classics.
There’s a more believable reason for Sara to become a beggar than in the movies where the government seems to have unfairly seized everything. In the book he loses it on speculation for diamond mines.
The sparrows outside her attic window and the rat family inside the walls.
Ermengarde as the friend and Lavinia as the enemy.

Toss-Up:

Sara is so immensely likeable because of how kind she is and how brave she is and how she handles herself in the face of adversity and tough situations. Sometimes she’s so strong you break for her. The book can be very sad at times. I cried once or twice wile reading her supposing about being a Princess when she was practically a beggar.
Sara’s relationship with Lottie as her “mother.” That didn’t gel so well with me.
Becky. Surprising.

Dislikes:

Miss Amelia is not nearly so likeable a character in the books as she’s in the movie versions of this story. I was sad about that.
The father is actually dead as opposed to the movies (Shirley Temple's The Little Princess and A Little Princess 1995) where he suffers amnesia from a war wound.

Last Minute Thoughts: This would be a great story to read at bedtime, a chapter or two at a time.

Buy: A Little Princess

Rating: 3 Treasure Chests (at least compared to the A Little Princess 1995 movie)

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Review: The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

First Mate Keira — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 09:52:52 +0000

Reviewed First Mate Keira

Title: The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Author: Brian Selznick
Format: Hardback
Page Count: 533 pages
Grade Reading Level: Grades 3-6

Summary: Hugo Cabret is an orphan and he lives inside the walls at a train station in Paris. His uncle had trained him to fix the station’s clocks before he disappeared. Now Hugo runs around doing his uncle’s job and steals when necessary for food and drink and sometimes from a toymaker for parts to a mysterious invention. If he could get it working perhaps he will find one last message from his deceased father.

Why I started this book:

I saw the movie (Eep! I know movie before book! Shame on me, but it happens.)

Likes:

In the book we see that Hugo steals because he can’t cash in his uncle’s checks. The movie sort of implies that the uncle has taken them without given Hugo any.
This book is full of illustrations done in a way to imply motion picture story tabling. This makes the book great for kids who don’t normally read big books. There are 284 pictures in the book's 533 pages. Plus they help tell the story! Cool!
The typography settings and page layouts sometimes fill the whole page, but there are a lot of pages with just a little amount of text on them. Another great reason kids who don’t read big books would like this one.

Dislikes:

Hugo does not invent the invention so the title is a bit of a misnomer. He fixes an automaton his late father found in a museum.

Book vs. Movie:

(Not all differences, but some that stood out)

In the book, Hugo and Isabelle are extremely antagonistic with each other and try very hard to get the other to reveal their secrets. The movie gives them more time to become friends, but also the script has them confiding into each other willingly for the most part.
In the book, Hugo and Isabelle have an adult friend sneak them into the movies. In the movie, Hugo insists on showing her a film (something she’s never seen before) and gets them into the theater by picking a lock. They are later caught and tossed out.
In the movie, Hugo persuades Isabelle to let him use her heart shaped key to start the automaton, but in the book, Hugo steals the key from Isabelle, which leads us back to the first bullet on this list.

Final Thoughts: I like the fleshed out story in the movie over the book. It appealed to me more.

Buy: The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Rating: 2.5 Treasure Chests

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Review: Indian Captive: The Story of Mary Jemison by Lois Lenski

Second Mate Embry — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 04:10:43 +0000

by Second Mate Embry, guest reviewer

Title: Indian Captive: The Story of Mary Jemison
Author: Lois Lenski
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 320
Grade Reading Level: Ages 9-12

Summary: Mary Jemison is living a normal life in the past during the years of British colonization of America until one day a man comes running by saying that the Indians are going to attack. Her dad ignores the warning and continues to plant his corn. They attack and she is separated from her family and kept captive amongst the Indians. They call her Corn Tassel for her hair. She’s tried to runaway to get back to her family but the Indians keep bringing her back. She is to become like them, but Mary doesn't want to be an Indian. It’s based on a true story.

Why I started reading this book:

It was a literacy book in my class and I read it for school as an assignment.

Likes:

Most books I’ve read about historical America usually have the European population capturing the Indians and I liked that this was the reverse of that scenario.
I enjoyed the different Indian names (Shining Star, Squirrel Woman, Red Bird, Little Turtle, Running Deer, etc.) and I thought that it was cool that their names sort of reflected the character and their personality.
The Indians only captured Europeans to replace dead members of their tribe.
The most interesting part of the book was when one of the captured Europeans was running the gauntlet! The Indians were trying to kill him and if he made it out alive he would be considered a true Indian.

Dislikes:

I wish it was more suspensful. I thought I would be very wrapped up in what would happen next and it was really more “Mary throwing herself a pity party, mumbling woefully about not being able to escape, and refusing to eat Indian food.” I just wanted to shake her to get her to stop moping and to start doing something.
Some of the language was hard to follow as it was full of older style dialogue instead of the contractions and language we use today.

Buy: Indian Captive: The Story of Mary Jemison

Rating: 2.5 Treasure Chests

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Review: The Atlantis Complex (Artemis Fowl Book 7) by Eoin Colfer

First Mate Keira — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 03:16:58 +0000

by First Mate Keira

Title: The Atlantis Complex (Artemis Fowl Book 7)
Author: Eoin Colfer
Format: Hardback
Page Count: 357
Grade Reading Level: Ages 9-12

Summary: A criminal mastermind is plotting escape from the underwater fairy prison in Atlantis. Everything is in place and ready to go when a series of lucky incidences go his way. First that Mud Boy, Artemis Fowl, appears to be suffering from a guilty conscience triggering a fairy psychosis called the Atlantis Complex. The boy sends his bodyguard away, lures several high ranked members of LEPrecon out into the middle of nowhere, and provides the perfect distraction for the mastermind’s plans. Nothing can get in his way now… cue sinister laughing.

Why I started this book:

I picked up Atlantis Complex because I have read the previous six Artemis Fowl books. It wasn’t available in audio from the library yet or I would have selected that format.

Likes:

Atlantis is a secondary city for the fairies. It’s not as big as Haven, but it’s just as important. I wish there had been more time spent in and around Atlantis instead of just focused on the prison and the mastermind’s escape route.
The giant squid was pretty epic. I like how it was a thinking creature and used tools, primitive though they were. (“I’m a nut!”)
The reprogrammed amorphobots. Foaly’s peaceful scientific advances intent on looking for life on Mars becoming nearly unbeatable weapons was pretty cool and clever.

Dislikes:

Orion Fowl was a waste of space both inside Artemis’ head and also on page. I expected more than bad poetry frankly as Artemis’ arch enemy.
Foaly was completely useless. He was good for the phone he carried, that’s it. The rest of the time he was patently unhelpful always saying the goo-bots he built weren’t programmed to do what they were doing. Of course they weren’t! That’s why everything was going to hell in a hand-basket.
Artemis should have been fully healed from the Atlantis Complex before the end of the book. I don’t like that it’s been left open for a plot device in the next book.

Buy: The Atlantis Complex (Artemis Fowl, Book 7)

Rating: 3 Treasure Chests

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Review: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney

CaptainYarr — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 02:47:09 +0000

by Captain Lyaf Yarr

Title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw
Author Jeff Kinney
Page Count: 217
Format: Paperback
Grade Reading Level: Ages 9-12

Summary: Greg is writing in his journal (diary) again and is facing more problems than ever before. He is getting into more trouble while trying to fix each of these problems. According to his dad, Greg should act more like his ex-neighbor, Lenwood Heath. His dad wants to send him to a summer conditioning program at Spag Union to change him from a troublemaker to a normal kid. Will Greg have to spend his entire summer at a conditioning program? Will he convince his dad to not send him to the program? What will be the last straw?

Why I Started This Book:

I already read the other two books of this series and enjoyed them both.

Likes:

The idea of the diary is still pretty awesome. It just appeals to me. I think it would be fun to read another diary or journal by a different author and compare it to the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.
Greg is a fun character. I love that he is so wimpy in appearance, but that his attitude isn’t wimpy. It's funny that he thinks he’s perfect as can be.
I like Greg's best friend, Rowley. He's immature. my favorite things he did was getting into a pillow fight with six year olds.
Oh and one last note: Greg's mom is funny. Hehe.

Dislikes:

I didn't like Greg's dad; he hears what Greg says but he doesn't listen. That's just bad parenting!
Some things were so stupid that they became funny. I wish it had been more funny and less stupid. Boys!
When he was wearing his mom's bathrobe and stood under the heat vent - why did he get in trouble for this? Makes no sense to me.

Last minute thoughts: I didn’t enjoy this book as well as the first one, but liked it better than the second one. I would like to read Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days soon and other books by Jeff Kinney.

Buy: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw

Book Rating: I give this book 3 Treasure Chests.

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Review: Stoneheart by Charlie Fletcher

First Mate Keira — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 01:55:42 +0000

by First Mate Keira

Title: Stoneheart
Author: Charlie Fletcher
Format: Hardback
Page Count: 450
Grade Reading Level: Grades 5-8

Summary: 12 year old George Chapman is on a field trip with his class to the Natural History Museum in London. When he's removed from the rest of the class for something he didn't do, George escapes the museum and vents his anger on an innocent dragon statue and winds up breaking it. Unknowingly falling into a layer of unLondon, George looks up to see if anyone has noticed and finds a pterodactyl carving peeling off the side of the building. Rescued by Gunner, George learns that he set into motion things that have been precariously balanced for a long time and now he has 24 hours to make things right or become enslaved to the Stone of London and maybe even start a war.

Why I started reading this book:

I saw this trilogy first in the bookstore. Then I saw the trailer for Sorcerer’s Apprentice and the first thing I thought was that it was going to be this book series. It’s not, but the gargoyles in the trailer reminded me of the back blurb to the book. I immediately hightailed it to the library and put them on hold.

Likes:

Gunner a is World War 1 statue who acts as protector, guide, and friend to George and Edie as they explore the many layers of unLondon.
I liked the world-building that Charlie Fletcher did throughout the novel. There are the good statues known as Spits that are imbued with a sort of soul by their Makers. And then there are the evil Taints which are soulless carvings that are half or all beast in appearance.
It's very cool to learn that all the statues that Fletcher mentioned can actually be found in and around London. That would make for a very interesting tour!
Some statues (cough Dictionary cough) use very big words which might be difficult for younger readers, but Fletcher does a good job defining them in character conversation or contextually in the sentence.

Dislikes:

I didn't like Edie as a character. She was too closed off, hardheaded, and stubborn to be very likeable.
The Stone didn't really seem as sinister as it was made to sound. The Walker seems like the bigger enemy even though he's enslaved to the Stone and acts on its orders (some of the time).
The Black Friar and Little Tragedy are very ambiguous. I don't know if I really like them or not because of this. I'm worried the Black Friar will do something to hurt the kids.
The writing is a little stiff, generally speaking.

Buy: Stoneheart (The Stoneheart Trilogy, Book One)

Rating: 3 Treasure Chests

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Review: George’s Secret Key to the Universe by Lucy and Stephen Hawking

cookcutlery — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 01:35:03 +0000

by Cook Cutlery, guest reviewer

Title: George’s Secret Key to the Universe
Author: Lucy and Stephen Hawking
Format: Paperback
# of pages: 295
Grade Reading Level: Ages 9-12

Summary: It all starts one day when George was going to feed his pet pig, Freddy, that he got on Christmas one year and found that Freddy was missing. Thus begins the search for him which ends in this old abandoned house. George meets Eric who lives in the house with his daughter, Annie, and he shows him Cosmos, the most powerful computer in the world. Before Eric can show George what Cosmos can do, he has to swear not to tell anyone about it. George is dumbfounded by what he sees Cosmos do. Then the next day by mistake George tells his teacher Dr. Reeper (nice name huh?) about Cosmos which then leads to many other problems.

Like:

The main ideas of the story such as George trying to find his pet pig, or helping Annie find her missing father that got lost and George trying to win the science fair at his school so he can get a computer, something he has always wanted.
The illustrations drawn by Gary Parson are very cute. I like the style and the kids look like how I pictured they would look.
The scientific picture files that are through out the book that talked about astronomy such as the planets, stars, and black holes.
The little sideline summaries that are scattered throughout the book. They talk about science and the universe. For example: what is a comet?

Dislike:

The way Ringo and his boys act. I know I'm not supposed to like them, but I thought they were really mean because at some parts they would chase George home or they would take stuff of his when he wasn’t looking. I'd hate it if someone did that to me.
Mr. Reeper, who wants to use Cosmos for evil. Not my favorite character by any stretch of the imagination. He wants to use Cosmos to gain control of the universe so that he can become king of the universe. No Noble Peace Prize for him!
That Eric doesn’t believe George when George tries to tell him that the letter he got about a place that could support the human race was actually from his evil teacher, Graham Reeper (Dr. Reeper).

Buy: George's Secret Key to the Universe (Paperback)

Rating: I would give this book 3 out of 5 treasure chests. It was a good book. I enjoyed it a lot.

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