Allison's Blog (140)

There are days when I tire of being a reviewer, but then along comes a book like Coyote Winds by Helen Sedwick that makes me feel excited about my role. Coyote Winds  is a bittersweet story, full of sadness and hope. As a historical novel, it’s about Myles and his family who struggle against overwhelming odds to maintain a farm during the depression and the Dust Bowl. As a young adult novel, it’s about thirteen-year-old Andy who lives in our…

What are your thoughts about the differences between comics and graphic novels? What are your favorite and least favorite? Why? Graphic novels proved the favorite reading fare of my struggling student readers this year. For that reason, I recently allowed my students to each pick one to read for an end-of-year project. Not only did I read all the books that they choose, but I read a few extras too. After a month of immersion, graphic novels still....…

Fifteen books later, I have finished with my first year of writing reviews for MOSAIC, a local committee which was formed within my school district to evaluate multicultural materials available to children and youth. Posting on a daily basis, either in the form of cultural information or book review, proved demanding on my time and…

A friend of mine brought me back the perfect gift after her trip to Australia: a book! Early Bird written by Nigel Gray and illustrated by Elise Hurst is an adorable story of a young girl named Melody who wishes to know: “Why do the birds sing their dawn chorus? And why do they stop when the sun rises?” Bold watercolor  illustrations alternate with simple black-and-white sketches to perfectly complement this four-chapter whimsical tale.…

Recently, I was asked to review Adaptation by Melinda Lo, especially with the view of it as a multicultural book. To me,  it doesn't stack up as one; the ethnic characters seem token. Moreover, as science fiction goes, Adaptation isn't all that believable. The global conspiracy happens too fast and is too contrived. Incidentally, that's also about how I viewed the romance.…

Imagine being nine years old and living on one’s own. However do you handle it? Well, it might help if you’re the strongest and richest girl in the girl. This week I reread The Adventures of Pippi Longstocking, which contains all three Pippi novels by Astrid Lindgren, as part of my ongoing study of literary anti-heroes. Pippi does whatever she desires, whenever she wants, which is a reason her character caused controversy when first introduced and to this day…

For two weeks something different happened at Allison’s Book Bag. I read the memoir of and select fiction by Walter Dean Myers. My first reviews were of his shorter works. The rest of my reviews were of longer works. I also posted summaries of chapters of Myers' memoir Bad Boy.

Amiri and Odette…

Let me introduce you to a little gem of about sixty pages that I read this week: Raggedy Chan by Camille Picott. The first in her Heritage Tale series, it really contains two stories. The first is about Emma Chan-McDougal, who receives a rag doll from her Auntie Gracie. The second is about a Chinese princess whose home is threatened by a drought. Through these two interwoven stories, Picott adeptly introduces readers to Chinese traditions while also acknowledging the perpetual struggle with…

On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness: Isn’t that a delicious title? This is the name of the first book in The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson. This past week I treated myself by setting aside evenings to read the three-hundred page fantasy and wasn’t disappointed. It’s a fun epic tale with lots of adventures, quirky characters, and an unique setting.…

Have you ever read a book that didn't quite suit your personal tastes? Did you stick with it or give up without giving it a chance? Sometimes as a reviewer, I receive books that I realize quickly within the first chapters aren't the type I'd pick of my accord. Yet when I put those biases aside, I might discover a book that I end up liking despite myself. That's the case with Crewel by Gennifer Albin, which tantalized me with its plot and absorbed me with its unique setting.…

Jeffrey Blount was inspired to write Hating Heidi Foster after observing a shared moment between his daughter and her best friend. Yet the theme of friendship is the weakest part of his book. Instead, Hating Heidi Foster excels in its portrayal of family, loss, and grief. This is a gentle and sometimes slow-paced story of how Mae loves her dad, hurts when she loses him, and eventually finds peace.…

Sometimes the gripping plot or engaging characters are what sell a book. With Mythical Voyage: Tale of the White Ponca, Robin Ymer’s gentle style is what wins me over. Her book has the feel of a read-aloud tale, perhaps because it originated as bedtime stories for Ymer's young children.…

Annie's World by Daniel Wright has numerous flaws. Two significant ones are a slow start and a style that seems better suited to adults. Yet if one can overlook its flaws, Annie's World is an interesting enough entry in the dystopian genre to warrant a read.

http://allisonsbookbag.wordpress.com/2012/12/29/annies-world-by-daniel-wright/

Give an eleven-year-old girl a video camera, sprinkle in a growing desire for fame, and you might just have a dangerous combination. In The Upside of Ordinary by Susan Lubner, the main character's passion to create a reality show leads her to cast boring reality aside in favor of ruthlessly staged drama. Sometimes these escapades are so chaotic and selfish that I couldn't help seeing them through the eyes of a responsible adult. Other times the story had my stomach in knots and the world…

Jennifer Fry has described her debut novel, A Part to Play, as a contemporary re-imagining of The Phantom of the Opera. For fans of this famous tragedy, this is excellent news. For everyone else (myself included), take heart. The Phantom of the Opera connection means, of course, that there is a romance with a troubled musician, but there are other issues too as you’ll discover later in my review. For now, I’ll also confess that A Part to Play was so well-written that I found it difficult to…

After rereading Curious George and Friends by Margret and H.A. Rey, I babbled on about them to my husband. My excitement surprised me because I hadn’t expected to feel so impressed by this collection of eight fanciful animal stories. I had randomly picked up the collection while browsing my picture books to find examples that I could use to study plot. I’m glad I did because it provided me with an afternoon of amazing fun. Oh, and yes, I also gained new insights into the structure of…

Sulan by Camille Picott is cyberpunk fiction. Although I enjoyed Sulan well enough to mildly recommend it, I found enough of it disengaging to decide that cyperpunk will probably not become a new favorite genre. In case you’re wondering, this genre features advanced science. According to Wikipedia, the main character is usually a hacker, with the central plot focusing on a conflict between techies and a mega-cooperation, and the setting tends to be the near-future Earth rather than distant…

Things Your Dog Doesn’t Want You to Know by Hy Conrad and Jeff Johnson is a cute and funny book designed to entertain. For the most part, the comedy works. And while you’re unlikely to turn to Things Your Dog Doesn’t Want You to Know for reference, it does make a great addition to a bathroom shelf or any place you might need some relaxed readings. Sometimes, you'll even learn a few things about man’s best friend. Oh, and it’s mostly safely for the entire family to read.…

What I really want to tell you is: I love Cinder, the first book in The Lunar Chronicles. Oh, and Marissa Meyer rocks as an author! Yet as a reviewer, I need to back up those statements with reasons. Well, if I absolutely must give you more of an explanation, I enjoyed Cinder by Marissa Meyer on two accounts. As a reader, I love that it’s a fantasy, set in the future, and based on a fairy tale. As a writer, I feel in awe of how many elements of fiction Marissa Meyer gets perfect. Now for a…

One of the quirks I’ve picked up as an adult is I prefer to first look in the children’s section of the library when I want to know more about topic. Children’s books give me the basics, and then some, without bogging me down with endless information. I especially appreciate that trait when it comes to topics that I’d otherwise never read about such as the electoral process. Through Woodrow for President, even though it is about a mouse and the United Mice for America, I gained an…