2011 Reviews by: Seymour
Improve your karma by reading this book!
First of all, adored the style of the book. It is written as a series of diary entries. Also, loved the hopeful ending which reflected the ability of love to surpass so many challenges. This book has tough content. Maya is visiting New Delhi, India, with her father. They are taking the ashes of her mother there. Her mother died tragically and Maya is coming to terms with that. She was raised in Canada so she has trepidations about this trip. They are well-founded since shortly after reaching India she discovers that she is betrothed! On top of that there is a sudden revolution and her dad is caught up in it because of his religion. Maya is separated from her dad and then witnesses a most horrific sight which leaves her dumbstruck. She is taken in by a family but treated horribly by their neighbors. Finally, she gets her voice back. And there is more important plot lines of her relationship with the son in the family, Sandeep. This is an amazing story with layer upon layer of mystification with cultural differences. I learned a lot from this book.
A book as unrelenting as the ocean
I found this treasure of an audio in our collection at the library. The reader (Ed Sala) had such an interesting style of presentation with meaningful pauses and breaks in his narration. The story is about a mom, dad, son, and daughter living in isolation on an island off the Western coast of Canada. We are introduced to how they spend their days, ("Work first, play later."), their months, and their years. All four characters deal with the loneliness in different ways. Squid (the daughter) looks forward to leaving the island some day. Alistair (the son) keeps diaries and plays the flute in attempts to stay sane. Hannah (the mother) does her daily chores and works with the lessons for her children. And Murray (the patriarch and lighthouse keeper) lords over all. (To be fair, he was there first!).
Read more»I flipped over "Flipped"
A sweet book about friendship and love. Bryce and Juli live across the street from each other and attend the same school. This book is about how they learn about each other's families, each other's friends, and what is really important. BTW, the movie is terrific, too!
A great book about baseball
I have a new found understanding of baseball after reading this book. Molly's dad died in a car accident and Molly enjoyed playing baseball with him. She tries out for the baseball team at her school and she shows the coach her specialty: the knuckleball. This particular pitch was very interesting to learn about! Also, the legacy of women and/or the knuckleball in baseball history was enlightening. Via baseball and the confidence she gains from her gift, Molly works through the emotion of grief over losing her father. This book is very well written and the characters are engaging. The ending line is wonderful!
About a girl from Red Bend
Dairy Queen, when you first hear it, you might think it's a book about the small state of Wisconsin, and about this rich girl. Well, you are half right. The part that you are right on is the state of Wisconsin part, but the girl is a high schooler that lives on a farm. Her family is just getting by in a small town of Red Bend. That's not all, it gets a little better from there. During that summer she has to train a bratty rich kid from Hawley, the city next door. He is the bad guy in the story named Brian Hawley, QB for high school football. D.J., that's the girl the stories are about, starts falling in love with Brian and starts thinking she wants to play football. It goes down hill from there. You have to read the book to find out if it is true love and whether she plays football or not. This book is about romance, a girl's life and the mess in it. Let me tell you, once you start reading it you can't stop! There are two more books in the series: 'Off Season' and 'Front and Center'.
A good audio
A girl likes skating and writes poems for her friends. She gets into a fight with her friend Leo and his girlfriend Lila.
A great world of fantasy!
Wonderful--I loved the main character. I loved the initial Chicago setting because I was familiar with exactly what was described. I loved the world of fantasy that was created at Rowan Academy particularly the animals. I liked how fast the plot kept moving. I liked how there are so many questions left unanswered in anticipation of the next book. Thank you to my sixth grade patron, Lauren, who did an amazing book talk to me about it. She was right!
A beautiful bright cookbook with easy to follow directions
From the flap: "All the recipes feature organic ingredients and foods that are available in supermarkets from coast to coast." Some recipe titles: Sunrise Muffins, Grits and Cheddar Cheese Souffle, Chick Pea and Garlic Puree, 4th of July Shortcake. Bon appetit!
