I couldn't resist when I saw this at the library. I loved Plnet Thieves so much that I had to read this even though I now it has no shot at getting on the MSBA list (we rarely do sequels).
So what did I think? When I went to write the title of the book for the blog I realized that the only allusion to the title of the book was in a note before the book began. If someone skipped that - the title doesn't make much sense.
I love Mason's character and there was good interaction with him and his friends - old and new and classmates at school. There were a few good twists and turns along the way but... The final confrontation between Mason and the Fangborn was a bit too easy.
I liked the book but I didn't like it as much as the first. Oh yes, there is another one coming out which I will most likely read.
This was a collection of...you guessed it...40 fables. The fables themselves were mostly Aesop (or attributed to him) and some were quite familiar. As I was reading through them rather quickly I noticed there seemed to be a lot of book left. That is because there are lengthy notes at the end about fables in general, Aesop, why to use fables, history of each fables, and Common Core tie ins. I did like the Common Core aspect.
For the most part I review books for MSBA. With so much Common Core info this isn't really meant for kids but for teachers. It would be a maybe for me purchasing for teachers...
If you have ever read this blog before you probably know that graphic novels are not my favorite thing. I read them because I review books for MSBA and I try to be well-rounded. This was cute... Not my thing really, but cute. MSBA is for grades 4 - 8. I think this is a little young. My students will probably like it but I just don't think it is quite enough for MSBA.
Robyn loves to get out at night to explore but when she comes back from a nightly adventure and finds that her parents are gone and blood she is really in for an adventure. Overnight Robyn goes from a child of a Paliament member to a hoodlum. On the run from Sheriff Mallet and the new ruler Ignomus Crown, Robyn must use her wits and trust in her new friends.
This book was quite interesting. It takes ideas from Robin Hood lore and mixes it with some interesting Moon and Sun lore. The setting is futuristic. The characters are fun. I felt like the book took awhile to get started and the mystery of the Moon Lore and her parents' role in everything is still bit muddled for me There is obviously a sequel coming but overall the book ended okay. I will be curious to see if my students take to this.
Set in the months before FDR's first election, this book tells the story of an African American family and their community. Stella and her brother Jojo witness a gathering of the KKK which sets the whole community on edge. In addition, there is tension between the whites and blacks regarding the upcoming election and health care in the town.
So...my opinion. I loved the beginnikng of the book. The conflict was powerful and realistic. There was a lot of tension and concern about what the KKK might do. But then it kind of fell flat. Yes there was a fire, yes there was tension at the vote but then it ended without any resolution. Of course, that is the way things are in real life...do things really ended all wrapped up in a bow? But for a book for children it just felt unfinished...
The animals in Baxter's Barn have a pretty good life. They eat, work, sleep. Until one day, Burdock, the new cat, overhears Dewey and his brother arguing. What Burdock overhears starts a desperate move to escape from the barn. You see, Dewey is planning on setting the barn on fire.
The reader is not given much information about why Dewey wants or feels he needs to set the barn on fire. As an older reader it was apparent to me but I think younger readers would miss the insurance scheme and might need a bit of background knowledge. The interplay between the animal characters and the plot itself was fun and everything came together well in the end.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. Not a favorite - but a good anuimal fantasy.
Kids love this kind of stuff. The graphics are great and the stry line is funny - although a bit confusing with the narrator Max speaking to the new kid, aka reader. I think kids would actually love it. My only problem is some of the language - while not swearing exactly, it is edgy and close - mo fo for example. For my younger students I am not sure I want to expose them to this just yet...middle school which it is intended for is a perfect audience.
Bottom line - funny, but probably not for my library.
