( G ) Books - Page 5

On the Far Side of the Mountain

Jean Craighead George

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 41 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Life in the wilderness has just become a lot thornier for young Sam Gribley. For the last two years he's been living in a hollowed-out tree in the Catskill Mountains, hunting and gathering his food supply and befriending the critters in his "neighborhood." Sam's peaceful existence is abruptly shattered when an environmental conservation officer confiscates his peregrine falcon, Frightful. To make matters worse, Sam's sister Alice, who has been living with him for the past year, has disappeared. This double blow quickly puts Sam on the trail to the far side of his mountain, pursuing a multifaceted mystery that, ultimately, will force him to make the biggest decision of his life.

Thirty years after the publication of her Newbery Honor Book, My Side of the Mountain, Jean Craighead George rewarded her many fans with an exciting sequel. This remarkable author of over 80 books and recipient of more than 20 literary awards (including the Newbery Medal for Julie of the Wolves) is a passionate advocate for the environment. Her knack for naturalist writing that crackles with life will have readers of all ages chomping at the bit for the third novel in her trilogy, Frightful's Mountain. (Ages 9 to 12) --Emilie Coulter

M Is for Magic

Neil Gaiman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

M is for Morbid 2 out of 5 stars.
7 of 15 people found this review helpful.

This small anthology contains 10 short stories and one bad poem. It clearly presents itself as a children's book (for "ages 10 and up" according to the flap), and many of the stories were apparently selected for elements that many superficially associate with Children's Literature, such as child protagonists, a sentient toy, a heroic animal, a mythical creature or some nursery rhyme references.

However, the pretence that this is a Children's Book is a cynical marketing deception. With the possible exception of "The Witch's Headstone", none of the stories here were originally written for children, nor have any been substantially altered for that audience. I did notice that at least one story ("Troll Bridge"), had received some very minor editing to remove some of the more blatant adult language and references (which in no way detracts from the tale anything of value, IMHO), but it remains a highly adult-themed (and disturbing) tale.

But the most inappropriate thing about this book is its promotion of suicidal ideas. The worst offender is "October in the Chair," which starts with a boy running away from home, and ends with his decision to throw away his life in pursuit of the sanctuary of the graveyard. This could be read as a horror story - and I suppose a healthy child would indeed be horrified by it. But it does not read as horror. It reads as a dark fantasy -- an advertisement for child suicide.

Suicidal themes are further explored in "Troll Bridge," which is not quite so bad as "October..." in that it at least suggests that a child might want to wait until he has some experience of life - which mainly means experience of sex - before he ultimately and inevitably decides to throw away his worthless life.

"Witch's Headstone," the last story in the volume, also adds to the theme, but indirectly. It is about young boy who lives in a graveyard under the protection of its apparently-benevolent ghosts. The graveyard appears as a (somewhat bleak) sanctuary, while the living world outside is portrayed as evil and threatening. I do not object to this positive portrayal of a graveyard sanctuary, since there is no indication that our hero got to this juncture via suicide (in fact, he is refered to as the "live boy"). The problem arises because this appears in the same volume as "October...", and the situations are so similar that it almost that it might be a sequel. It seems to resolve the ambiguous ending of "October..." in favor of the idea that the suicidal act at the end of that story was a good idea.

Nonetheless, I might have thought that "...Headstone," viewed strictly on its own (rather than as a follow-up to "October..."), was a tolerable kids' horror fantasy, containing some genuinely imaginative and creepy situations. However, it contains yet another terrible flaw. One character, who the author clearly intends as sympathetic, is the ghost of a witch who, as revenge for her execution, curses an entire village to a painful death. Wait ... sorry - it was not quite the ENTIRE village. "Just those that watched me get burned and drowned," explains this mass-murderess (with a shrug) when our boy hero inquires on this issue. That seems to make it okay in Gaiman's mind. In short not only does Gaiman suggest (in "October...") that our kids ought to kill themselves, but he also suggests (in "... Headstone") that they might want to slaughter half the community on their way out, on the flimsiest of justifications.

Setting aside the volume's unsuitability for kids, and viewing it simply as a slim collection of adult stories, it remains a mixed bag. "The Price," about a mysterious stray cat, is the best story here. Others, such as "Troll Bridge" are memorably horrific and disturbing, though I hesitate to call them good. Still others, such as "The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds" and "How to Sell the Ponti Bridge", are just pointless tales that try too hard to be clever, and fail. Many of the stories (even "The Price") are underdeveloped - Gaiman seems to think that not finishing or adequately developing a story is a good way to create an illusion of depth. Almost all of the stories here can be found in earlier, larger, collections (The best ones are from SMOKE AND MIRRORS, while others are from FRAGILE THINGS). The only advantage to this slim volume is that it spares the reader exposure to some of Gaiman's more degraded dark fantasies.

Still, the stench of moral decay is not absent here, and virtually all the stories display a disturbing indifference to morality. "...Blackbirds" celebrates the principle that one must "look out for number one." When, in "Troll Bridge", the hero offers first his sister, then his girlfriend, to the troll in order to ransom himself, there is never any clear indication that the author feels that he ought to have behaved otherwise. "...Ponti Bridge" celebrates the glorious achievements of a con-man. "Sunbird" seems to celebrate, as though it were merely funny, a happy-go-lucky rascal who casually murders all his friends (for unexplained motives) in the course of obtaining immortality for himself.

"The Price" is the closest thing to an exception. The protagonist is a coward, as always, but the same cannot be said for the mysterious, self-sacrificing Cat who suffers for his sins. It is the only story here that strongly suggests the possibility of Good as well as Evil, and that is why it is my favorite.

Editorial Review:

Stories to delight, enchant, and surprise you.

Bestselling author and master storyteller Neil Gaiman here presents a breathtaking collection of tales that may chill or amuse readers—but always embrace the unexpected:

• A teenage boy who has trouble talking to girls finds himself at a rather unusual party.
• A sinister jack-in-the-box haunts the lives of the children who owned it.
• A boy raised in a graveyard makes a discovery and confronts the much more troubling world of the living.
• A stray cat fights a nightly battle to protect his adopted family from a terrible evil.

These eleven stories illuminate the real and the fantastic, and will be welcomed with great joy by Neil Gaiman's many fans as well as by readers coming to his work for the first time.

Babe & Me: A Baseball Card Adventure

Dan Gutman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 39 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

a great book to jump-start your kid's love of reading 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

My son was a reluctant beginning reader until his first grade teacher pulled out a copy of Babe and Me to read to his class. We went out and got it the next day, read it together, and he spent the next summer working his way through it by himself, slowly reading it aloud.
Since then, he has read this book and the others in the series several times. This novel is multi-layered, with storylines about a boy's relationship with his father (his parents are divorced), all told in the historical context of the Great Depression and during the rise of Hitler. Every time we read this together (and there have been countless times), my son finds something else to discuss. The mystery of the book---did Babe really call the shot?---almost doesn't matter when you consider the book as a whole.
Overall, I credit this book as jump-starting my son's love of reading and of baseball. I can't recommend this enough for anyone looking for an entertaining and interesting read, and parents will love reading it aloud with younger readers, as well.

Editorial Review:

On October 1, 1932, during Game Three of the Chicago Cubs -- New York Yankees World Series, Babe Ruth belted a long home run to straightaway centerfield. According to legend, just before he hit, Babe pointed to the bleachers and boldly predicted he would slam the next pitch there.

Did he call the shot or didn't he? Witnesses never agreed. Like other baseball fans, Joe Stoshack wants to know the truth. But unlike other fans, Joe has the astonishing ability to travel through time and solve one of baseball's greatest puzzles....

Coraline: The Movie Collector's Edition

Neil Gaiman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Coraline went exploring one day . . .

Her family has just moved to a completely new town, and so Coraline already feels a bit strange. In her new house there is one door that opens onto a brick wall. At least, it does until one day the bricks are gone and Coraline finds herself stepping over the threshold into another house . . . a house that's just like hers.

At first things appear marvelous in this other house. The food is better. The toy box is filled with windup angels that flutter about, books whose pictures crawl and shimmer, and little dinosaur skulls that chatter their teeth. But there's another mother and another father—and they want Coraline to be their little girl and stay with them forever. They want to change her and never let her go.

Other children are also trapped, as lost souls behind a mirror, and Coraline is their only hope. She will have to find a way to meet the other mother's challenge in order to save the lost children, her ordinary life, and herself.

No Matter What

Debi Gliori

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 40 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Great for Nonconventional families! 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

We read this book all the time (in the top 3) to our 15-month-old daughter, even though we do have a conventional family. But I wanted to write this review so other people will know that it is a perfect child's book for a non-conventional family.
There is no gender reference to Small. There is no gender reference to Large. There is not even a reference of Large being a parent. There is no reference to any other family member. This would be fabulous for single parents or for guardians who are not "mom" or "dad".

Love this book! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

My daughter received this book from her Nana when she was about 14 months old. It's one that, happily, I was able to recite by heart soon after. We read the book almost every night for about a year. And then we read it at least once/week for the next 2 years. When her brother was born, we started reading it to him. It is one of his very most favorites also. He knows if I accidentally skip a page or if I say something the wrong way. The other preschool book of Ms Gliori's that we love (and have loved) is Polar Bolero. My son LOVES that he can see a Little Small in Polar Bolero. Ms Gliori's illustrations are just wonderful.

My daughter was extra thrilled when we discovered that Ms Gliori has also written chapter books! We're anxiously awaiting to start the last book in the series - Pure Dead Frozen.

We are BIG GIANT FANS of Ms Gliori!

Editorial Review:

I’m grim and grumpy,” says Small to Large, “and I don’t think you love me at all.”But nothing could be further from the truth--and Large knows just how to reassure Small in this warm and tender story about a child’s biggest worry and a parent’s endless capacity for love.

My Weird School #10: Mr. Docker Is Off His Rocker!

Dan Gutman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Making Science FUN! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Another fantastic edition in the Weird School series. Perfect for BOYS in particular. This one is about the Science teacher. I loved how the character, as well as the entire story, inspires readers to enjoy science.

Mr.Docker is a Rocker 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Hi my name is Erik and I am 8 years old. If you never read the Weird School books Mr. Docker is off his Rocker should be your first. It is about a wack scientist that loves potatoes. I don't want to tell you any more because that takes the fun out of reading it. I hope you were listening because I'm expecting you to read it! Bye Bye.

Editorial Review:

Something weird is going on!

Mr. Docker must be a mad scientist! He does nutty experiments and he has an evil, demented, cackling laugh. Plus he invented a car that runs onto potatoes. Mr. Docker is the weirdest science teacher ever! Is he trying to take over the world?

Mickey & Me: A Baseball Card Adventure (Baseball Card Adventures)

Dan Gutman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

TOTALLY AWESOME BOOK!!!!!!!! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I love this book!!!!!!!! I love Dan Gutman's style of writing. This book is great for kids who love baseball and historic fiction.

My Antonia 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Excellent description of the western prairie. Realistic stories of immigrant life and struggles. Memorable characters caught in the social constrictions of that time and place.

Mickey and Me 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Mickey and Me is a very fasinating book about a kid named joe,and he can travel through time with old baseball cards;He must save Mickey mantle from a fall that ruined his baseball career. The author is Dan Gutman.

Editorial Review:

When Joe Stoshack's dad ends up in the hospital after a car accident, he has two words to say to his son: Mickey Mantle. For Stosh has a special power -- with a baseball card in hand, he can travel back in time. And his dad has a rare card -- Mantle's valuable 1951 rookie card. "I've been thinking about it for a long time. Go back to 1951. You're the only one who can do it," Dad whispers.

That night Stosh grips the card and prepares for another magical adventure. But when he opens his eyes, he's not in Yankee Stadium -- he's in Milwaukee on June 8, 1944. And how he wound up there is not half as surprising as what he finds!

Terrible Things: An Allegory of the Holocaust

Eve Bunting

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Review Terrible Things 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This book tells about how the Holocaust could happen. So many times when things go wrong or don't look right, people have a tendancy to look the other way, not get involved, or "I better not help as I may have a problem too." In this book the different animals are removed one by one by the "terrible things." Everyone looks the other way- the only one to question why is a little rabbit and he is told not to get involved by his elders. In the end there is no one left,except the little rabbit who hid,- and the meadow is left silent and barren. Just as in the Holocaust years ago, if people had banded together, maybe this wouldn't have happened. I read this book to my LD 4th grade class. By the end of the book, outside of being able to hear a pin drop in the classroom, the kids asked "Why didn't anyone do anything?" I guess the author really got her point across!

Editorial Review:

In this unique introduction to the Holocaust, Eve Bunting encourages young children to stand up for what they think is right, without waiting for others to join them.

The Graveyard Book CD

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Beautifully Read 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

Some authors shouldn't be the one to read for their audiobooks, but Neil Gaiman is not one of them. His reading brings the story into vibrant life, making the humor funnier, the tension thicker, and the tender moments more touching. I have never bought a book and considered buying the audio version as well--it has always been one or the other--until now. I can't recommend The Graveyard Book or its audio version highly enough. In fact, I think I'll start listening to it again right now.

Editorial Review:

Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead. There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy. But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack—who has already killed Bod's family . . . Beloved master storyteller Neil Gaiman returns with a luminous new novel for the audience that embraced his New York Times bestselling modern classic Coraline. Magical, terrifying, and filled with breathtaking adventures, The Graveyard Book is sure to enthrall readers of all ages.

My Weird School #9: Miss Lazar Is Bizarre!

Dan Gutman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Fantastic 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I have several third grade students who did not like to read. I introduced them to the wonderful world of Dan Gutman and this series. I now have students begging me to buy more as they can't read them fast enough. A must for any classroom library!

Great Book Series! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

My son Dimitri hates to read and hates school, the My Weird School series is brillant, fun and entertaining. The main character, AJ, hates school and hates to read. My son can certainly identify with that! My son enjoys reading the books...he doesn't realize he is reading! Great series, I am collecting all the books.

Editorial Review:

Miss Lazar, the janitor, likes to dance around the school with a mop! She has a secret room down in the basement where she keeps the bad kids! She says cleaning throw–up is fun! Miss Lazar is the weirdest custodian in the history of the world!