A lovely short biography of Teresa Carreno with very interesting and detailed art. I thought it was a good story and it touches on confidence and follA lovely short biography of Teresa Carreno with very interesting and detailed art. I thought it was a good story and it touches on confidence and following your passions. ...more
This 3rd book of the series didn't feel very connected to the first two. I felt like the series could have ended happily at the end of the second bookThis 3rd book of the series didn't feel very connected to the first two. I felt like the series could have ended happily at the end of the second book excluding the epilogue. This one felt rushed and introduced a whole lot of people, places, and issues while just dropping some of the old ones and never finishing plot lines. I was left with more questions than I'd like. I really didn't care for the beginning slave ship allegory as it is not a plot or time I enjoy reading about. The whole series seems to be an African Diaspora metaphor with South America and Africa and either North America or Europe represented. This last book focused heavily on the kidnapping and sacrifice of the African people and was very hard to read at times.
Content notes: people and animal death by drowning and violence, violence with magic and blades, graphic torture...more
This sequel wasn't quite as exciting as the first one. The first half was a bit difficult to get into, but he second half was more fast-paced and plotThis sequel wasn't quite as exciting as the first one. The first half was a bit difficult to get into, but he second half was more fast-paced and plotty. :) I liked the magic training and the fights. I disliked how much smarter, faster, and stronger the Titans were. It was ridiculous how many times they outfoxed the Magi. And how many of them are there?! One of the fights had a general just sacrificing her own people and they were all gladly running up to be the next to die. I get patriotic feelings, but this just felt cult-like. The Ryders were featured less in this one, which meant I spent less time wondering how they had enough food for them and where they kept them and such. Then ending is jarring and a total cliff-hanger, so I am glad I didn't get into this series until number 3 was out. The characters all seemed to do 180's (some several times). All the relationships are toast and the reader is glad about it since they are all just terrible to each other. I thought it was interesting how both Amari and Inan ended up exactly like their parents and messing things up royally. Don't they know that royalty is soooo old-fashioned? (view spoiler)[I honestly could have strangled Inan for being so stupid at the end. He goes through his angst and finally does the right thing, but just leaves his mom drugged on the floor? Doesn't chain her up or kill her or anything? Just expects her to not be trouble anymore? I completely think he is an idiot. Amari and her war crimes are no better. I guess Inan is right when he says the problem is the royal family. I concur. (hide spoiler)]...more
I liked learning more about the Pinkerton detectives during the Civil War and the spying they did. I liked the first female detective being featured. I liked learning more about the Pinkerton detectives during the Civil War and the spying they did. I liked the first female detective being featured. I liked the spy vs. spy action. I didn't care for the romance angle (view spoiler)[ and the so-called 'happy ending' because it just seems like it is leading to disaster and a hanging and horribleness. (hide spoiler)] I liked the interactions between Pinkerton and Kate. Overall, I thought the beginning of the book dragged a bit and I had a hard time keeping at it. There are a lot of flashbacks throughout as we find out more about Kate's past and it breaks up the narrative too much. And the weird decisions made by the detectives while interrogating the widow irritated me. They are supposed to be smart. Kate goes on and on about people who live in their privates for a little too long.
some stories were written on us by others. ... That's all her words are: hateful graffiti scribbled across my exterior.
There is a lot of talk of prejudice in this book and the way humanity is divided into ever smaller segments who are all hateful and suspicious of the other groups. Kate speaks of others judging her immediately due to her dress, accent, looks, etc. Everyone in the novel judges others to some degree. Females are judged and underestimated. People are judged by their race, their backgrounds, the amount of money they have...
"Slavery is a think...It's a thing you can't know and then unknow. Nothing you do is innocent again. If you're not fighting it, you're accepting it. People think they're innocent because they live in New York or Chicago or don't own a slave. No one is innocent."
I thought the way Kate had trouble as she grew to know and sympathize with the widow she was interrogating was interesting. She ended up with a reverse Stockholm syndrome. That widow was an excellent manipulator! She was a Southern lady and was on the side of slavery, so Kate was predisposed to hate her, but hate is difficult when you spend time with someone and see their soft sides. That theme runs through this book. Hate vs. love and how you are supposed to change the world--fighting or loving.
What is it that drives such hate into us? Drives us to divide ourselves into light skin and dark skin. North and South, Yank and paddy, woman and man, lady and pseudo-woman? Smaller and smaller divisions from which we debate and decide each other's worth. Is it our natural state? Or are we pressed into such divisiveness by education and culture and self-interest and all the other noise beating down into our hearts all day long?
I really enjoyed being a part of this lovely friendship. I'd never heard of Mrs. Bethune before and I am very eager to learn more about her. I didn't I really enjoyed being a part of this lovely friendship. I'd never heard of Mrs. Bethune before and I am very eager to learn more about her. I didn't know much about Eleanor Roosevelt before this either. I thought the decades-spanning friendship between the two was enlightening and so very tender. They needed each other and helped uplift each other and were just a great example of friendship. There were several cultural things I didn't know about the time period and the realities of the Jim Crow laws and segregation. For instance, I have never thought about why some 'ethnic' foods are considered weird and gross by some people. The book shows that hog lips, pigs' feet, oxtails, etc. were the parts given to the lower classes and so they had to find ways to make them taste good and really just claimed them as part of the culture. I'd never put any thought into why that was. Very interesting.
My goodness, this is America. It's hard to keep track of all the horrible things white people say.
There were indeed some horrible things said and done by people in this book. (and real life, of course)
Raising colored boys in this country is not for the weak.
This is equally true today as it was then. This phrase comes at the end of Eleanor's thoughts about how her husband has changed from the idealist and good person that she married. She wonders where all his morals and enthusiasm for fighting for what is right went:
Or was it squeezed out of him one handshake at at time as he built up enough support to become president of the United States?
This sentence struck me as too true. Politicians seem to start mostly wanting to do good and save the world. But little by little, the politics required to get ahead seem to just cause them to make more and more compromises. The idealism is just squeezed right out of them.
But that doesn't mean that absorbing others' troubles and fighting for them doesn't take a toll. Especially when we're faced with such strident and merciless detractors in response.
Eleanor and Mary both seem to have bouts of melancholy. Mary tells Eleanor that the strongest of them can exhaust their mental resources and get the idealism beat out of them over time, but recovering is crucial! Eleanor seems to recover better than her spouse. And that is why we love her!...more
I enjoy all of this author's books. It is not as realistic as you might want, but as it is written for middle grade readers, I gave it a pass and justI enjoy all of this author's books. It is not as realistic as you might want, but as it is written for middle grade readers, I gave it a pass and just enjoyed it! There is a lot of action and the brothers' relationship is beautiful.
A wonderful take on Pearl Harbor for middle grade readers. It puts forth everything that led up to the attack and the aftermath in simple, exciting, eA wonderful take on Pearl Harbor for middle grade readers. It puts forth everything that led up to the attack and the aftermath in simple, exciting, easy-to-understand chapters. The author doesn't pull punches and the grisly effects on civilians and sailors is mentioned, but readers should expect that as it was a very bloody attack. I like how the book includes points-of-view from Japanese soldiers and civilians around the island as well as the men on the ships. I learned a lot that I didn't know and would recommend this to people of any age who want to know about Pearl Harbor....more
I read this book almost non-stop and was useless for everything else. It is paced just right and leads you from one revelation to the next in the bestI read this book almost non-stop and was useless for everything else. It is paced just right and leads you from one revelation to the next in the best way. I am a fan of historical fiction and this was a story that needed to be told and was told well. ...more
I read this as part of a lesson on the Middle East. The students liked it and it is a quick read aloud. I like how there is a female in a leadership pI read this as part of a lesson on the Middle East. The students liked it and it is a quick read aloud. I like how there is a female in a leadership position since stereotypes my students are exposed to can lead them to assume that will never be the case. I liked how my students called her a "hoarder, but for a good reason". The art is simple and goes very well with the simple story. ...more
Absolutely lovely. I've read Wonder, but I didn't realize there were other books in the 'series' that told the stories of some of the other charactersAbsolutely lovely. I've read Wonder, but I didn't realize there were other books in the 'series' that told the stories of some of the other characters. I'm glad I gave this one a chance. The premise of a grandmother telling her Holocaust survival story to a grandson in order to make sure the message gets passed to the next generation. That message being, "We can't let this happen again." This is a little more of a gentle Holocaust story than others, so it might be a bit better for younger readers. I thought the illustrations were beautiful. There's one page I'd love to have framed.
I loved Sara's father's explanation of how everyone has light inside them and the people who do evil things have lost theirs and can't see the light of others. He is trying his best to explain why people can do the evil things that are happening all around them.
Que acabe no depende de Dios, pastor. La maldad sólo se detendrá cuando las buenas personas decidamos acabar con ella. Somos nosotros los que tenemos que luchar, no Dios.
What has happened is not because of God. The evil will only stop when the good people decide to stop it. We are the ones who have to fight, not God.
(view spoiler)[The death scene of Julian was simply beautiful. It was awful, but written in a way that still left you with some peace. Though I still bawled my eyes out. :( (hide spoiler)]
This book is a great introduction to Pearl Harbor for young readers. The well-known stories of the attack are portrayed with our young protagonists asThis book is a great introduction to Pearl Harbor for young readers. The well-known stories of the attack are portrayed with our young protagonists as part of them. One of the characters is of Japanese descent, so we get to experience the unfairness of the hatred and fear of Japanese Americans after the bombs fell.
How do you think you can write about heroes if you can't be one yourself?
This book has a theme throughout of bravery and cowardice and what they really are. Frank had an 'incident' that traumatized him and he is too afraid to stand up for others. His friend calls him out for it and says this to him. Of course, he does brave things while being scared and finds out he is not a coward after all.
Dear Lord, Lest I continue My complacent way Help me remember Somehow out there A man died for me today. As long as there be war, I then must Ask and answer Am I worth dying for?
I've managed to get to an advanced age without hearing this poem. This author didn't write it and it was made famous because Eleanor Roosevelt carried it in her pocket during the War. It is included as a section divider in the book.
Content notes: violence from guns, bombs, and flames, hate speech toward Japanese Americans...more
I thoroughly enjoyed this story of JFK's war-time exploits. I honestly hadn't heard this story before and it was very stressful to read about. The booI thoroughly enjoyed this story of JFK's war-time exploits. I honestly hadn't heard this story before and it was very stressful to read about. The book has a short intro to how he entered the service and some epilogue information for after the war, but the meat of the book is WWII-based. The narrative is gripping and goes quickly since there is a lot of little side-bars and insets with extra information about the boats and terminology and maps and such. I love how the book focuses on the way the two countries made up after the war and kept things positive. I do believe it made JFK look pretty perfect, though. There might have been some careful editing there. :)...more
I adored Leckie's writing style. One reviewer said it was like a prose poem and I agree. He uses lyrical language and a varied vocabulary. The book isI adored Leckie's writing style. One reviewer said it was like a prose poem and I agree. He uses lyrical language and a varied vocabulary. The book is very much a memoir of his time in the Marines, so there is a lot of down time and between-battle time included.
Hastily composed war songs were on the lips of everyone, their heavy patriotism failing to compensate for what they lacked in tune and spirit. Hysteria seemed to crouch behind all eyes.
After Pearl Harbor, American ratcheted up the war effort and there were people volunteering to kick the butts of every Jap and Nazi. I remember the time after 9/11 and figure that was at least similar, if not as deeply felt by the whole nation. That patriotic hysteria has to go somewhere and there was a huge war effort that luckily was able to channel it.
If a man must live in mud and go hungry and risk his flesh you must give him a reason for it, you must give him a cause.
Leckie laments the lack of good WWII songs throughout the book and says they needed a good patriotic song to rally behind.
I stood among the heaps of dead. They lay crumpled, useless, defunct. The vital force was fled. A bullet or a mortar fragment had torn a hole in these frail vessels and the substance had leaked out. The mystery of the universe had once inhabited these lolling lumps, had given each an identity, a way of walking, perhaps a special habit of address or a way with words or a knack of putting color on canvas. They had been so different, then. Now they were nothing, heaps of nothing. Can a bullet or a mortar fragment do this? Does this force, this mystery, I mean this soul--does this spill out on the ground along with the blood?
The waste and reality of war was very well described in this book. I can't imagine the carnage.
I thought the action and pacing of the book were excellent. Each chapter moved us forward. There was enough foreshadowing to make me mistrust everyoneI thought the action and pacing of the book were excellent. Each chapter moved us forward. There was enough foreshadowing to make me mistrust everyone, but it wasn't so obvious that the plot twists were expected. I love Violet and seeing her fight through all the obstacles using her brain and her friends was so nice. She accepts the way her body is made and makes others accept her, too. The society seems a bit weird. Fighting a war for 400 years and not getting anywhere while killing off half of the cadets who want to fight for you seemed a bit odd to me. But I let that go and just enjoyed the writing. ...more
I was interested to read about this aspect of WWII--the POV of resistance workers in the Netherlands and Ravensbruck Women's Camp. There were nice asiI was interested to read about this aspect of WWII--the POV of resistance workers in the Netherlands and Ravensbruck Women's Camp. There were nice asides that put the context of the story in alignment with other things going on. This book is more about religion than I was expecting. I mean, the whole Holocaust was about religion, but more of a cultural religion than actual prayer/ ministry. This book has a lot of Corrie praying and ministering and includes a lot of reflecting on her faith. I can say that it felt like a little too much, but that is how she survived and kept sane during a tough time, so I can't judge. There were a lot of people who wouldn't do what she did to help strangers, so she and her family were truly heroes. She spoke about forgiving even the Nazi guards who tortured her at the camp and shaking hands with one of them. I submit that she is one of a very few people who actually practices what she preaches. ...more
This is a moving story that I've heard from the author herself via video. The picture book has dream-like soft paintings with a lot of detail that areThis is a moving story that I've heard from the author herself via video. The picture book has dream-like soft paintings with a lot of detail that are lovely. The story is very simple and definitely written for young readers and leaves out some things. Like the train taking the kids all the way from Vienna to London and the fate of the family back home being left out. ...more
I think this was a great way to show kids what it was like to experience this event. It has suspense and there are many deaths, but not too graphicallI think this was a great way to show kids what it was like to experience this event. It has suspense and there are many deaths, but not too graphically so it should be okay for younger readers. The protagonist also has to come to terms with his move away from his friends and making better choices than he has in the past....more
A lovely picture book about a part of WWII that I haven't seen much about--Italy. This tells the story of a bicyclist that won the Tour de France befoA lovely picture book about a part of WWII that I haven't seen much about--Italy. This tells the story of a bicyclist that won the Tour de France before the war and after the war. He spent the war riding around and delivering fake papers to save Jewish people. This story was not known until recently and there are reports that say it didn't happen this way. But the picture book is well illustrated and tells a good story. ...more
This is a lovely informational book for those interested in history or ships. The art is fantastic and every page is full and busy. The text is a bit This is a lovely informational book for those interested in history or ships. The art is fantastic and every page is full and busy. The text is a bit dense for younger readers and it is stated at the end that it isn't actually known if dazzle paint actually did anything, which is kind of a weird thing to find out after reading a book about it....more
This is a relatively short graphic novel that has 6 different survival stories. They are heartbreakingly simple. It is a lot to digest all at once. ThThis is a relatively short graphic novel that has 6 different survival stories. They are heartbreakingly simple. It is a lot to digest all at once. The pictures are simply wonderfully drawn. There were a few that just captured the feeling so well. The nazi officer with half a skeleton face and the poor Jewish prisoners who looked like walking corpses will definitely be burned into my brain forever. I recommended this to the language arts teachers as a good candidate for a jigsaw activity.
My grandmother was lucky. She got to die when all of us were still together.
Content notes: drawings with dead bodies in various positions and stacks, no naughty bits are shown on the naked people and no bad language aside from some aspersions against the Jewish...more
Loading...
