Category: Review

Friday Fifteen

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Happy Friday, everyone! It’s almost Mother’s Day, so let’s celebrate early with a few mother-themed fifteen-word book reviews:

1. Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
Quiet and sensitive novel about a mail-order bride who becomes an awesome stepmom.

2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
Mrs. Weasley wins Mom of the Year for her line “Not my daughter, you bitch!”

3. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flag
Idgie and Ruth combat racism, serve barbecue in Depression-era Alabama. Read it, immediately started rereading.

4.Matilda by Roald Dahl
Clever Matilda has a heinous family, so she forms a new family with Miss Honey.

5. Grandma Gets Grumpy by Anna Grossnickle Hines
Grandmas get upset sometimes–they were moms once, after all.

Friday Fifteen

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It’s the first Friday in May and I couldn’t be happier about it. There are flowers blooming now, guys! There are buds on trees! And (in case you’ve missed the last couple of posts), I’m psyched about heading to the NESCBWI conference. Certainly, this calls for a New England kidlit author and illustrator-themed Friday Fifteen:

1. Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola
Of course Italian grandmothers have magical powers. Whimsical and wonderful art.

2. Jumping Off Swings by Jo Knowles
Sensitive look at what it means to be a “slut” in high school.

3. Hush, Little Dragon by Boni Ashburn
Can I use the phrase “darkly adorable?” Hilarious text, awesome illustrations by Kelly Murphy.

4. One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
About hope, family, and what it means to be in foster care. Love Carley.

5. The Sneetches and Other Stories by Dr. Seuss
Only remember “The Sneetches,” but it’s way good. Seuss was from Springfield, MA, don’tcha know.

Friday Fifteen

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Happy Friday, everyone! What better way to end the week than with some fifteen-word book reviews:

1. Friends by Helme Heine
I used to love this book, especially the rooster’s rainbow tail.

2. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Just as cute and fun as everyone said. Can I study abroad in Paris?

3. Barefoot Contessa, How Easy Is That? by Ina Garten
The ones I’ve tried turned out well. Apparently Ina likes her Bolognese spicy—woohoo!

4. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
The most depressing Steinbeck book. And he wrote about dead puppies.

5. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
Not my favorite, but I like how Fanny holds it together amidst so much crazy.

Friday Fifteen

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So. It’s been the Week of Suck to end all Weeks of Suck. And here in Boston we’re currently still waiting for an end to an intense manhunt that’s been going on nearly 24 hours. But the Boston community is holding strong, so this week’s Friday Fifteen is dedicated to Boston-area writers.

1. Nature by Ralph Waldo Emerson
Great writing, but I’m more of an indoor girl.

2. Choosing a Jewish Life: A Handbook for People Converting to Judaism and for Their Family and Friends by Anita Diamant
Warm and inclusive look at conversion. Read for novel research; very interesting on its own.

3. The Ugly Vegetables by Grace Lin
How to win friends and influence people with tasty veg.

4. The Devils Arithmatic by Jane Yolen
Pretty sure I read this, but totally forgot the “time travel” and am questioning myself.

5. Drown by Junot Diaz
Read in a contemporary novel class; one of the few I really remember.

Thanks to everyone for the support and love this week! Bostonians and non-Bostonians alike, we are going to get through this.

Friday Fifteen

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Let’s kick Friday off with this week’s fifteen-word book reviews:

97800605723411. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
“Sick” was my favorite. I think I looked at the illustrations more than the poems.

2. Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis
The ultimate novel about academia. Which says it all for me.

3. Felicity Saves the Day (American Girls: Felicity #3) by Valerie Tripp
No, Ben, you can’t fight in the Revolutionary War because you already have a job!

4. The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
Sci-fi YA takes on Frankenstein. Really dug it, but felt complete; why’s there a sequel?

5. The Bad Beginning (The Series of Unfortunate Events #1) by Lemony Snicket
I liked that the Baudelaires never solved problems easily. Lots of literary fun sprinkled throughout.

Friday Fifteen

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Hey guys, it’s finally Friday! Time for some book reviews in fifteen words or less.

1. Rapunzel’s Revenge by Shannon Hale, Nathan Hale, and Dean Hale
A fun wild-west take on the fairy tale. Can see this working for reluctant readers.

2. Daughters of Eve by Lois Duncan
At thirteen I had mixed feelings about this feminist-cult book; felt very dated.

3. Faulkner in the University ed. Frederick L. Gwynn, introduction by Douglas Day
Read The Sound and the Fury, matriculating at UVA. Of course I snatched this up.

4. Stone Soup by Marcia Brown
Or “How to Host a Dinner Party Without Having to Cook.” Our 2nd grade play.

5. The Older Boy (Sweet Valley #15) by Francine Pascal
You’re sixteen and think a sixth grader looks like an average high school girl? Riiiight.

Friday Fifteen

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Happy Friday, everyone! Can you believe it’s the end of March? This month was kind of a whirlwind for me, so I’m glad to see April on its way. Let’s round out the month with some good ol’ fashioned fifteen-word book reviews.

97814197016891. Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
Expected to love this one (evil geniuses! fairies!) but couldn’t connect with the characters/world.

2. Chief O’Neill’s Sketchy Recollections of an Eventful Life in Chicago by Francis O’Neill, ed. Ellen Skerrett and Mary Lesch
Memoir by a policeman in early 1900s Chicago, who then documented Irish folk music.

3. Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss
Great rhyming early reader; but even in first grade I wondered what it all meant.

4. Greyhound of a Girl by Roddy Doyle
Doyle does MG? Awesome! Sweet and touching road trip/ghost story with four generations of women.

5. Once Upon a Time (Childcraft: the How and Why Library #4) by World Book-Childcraft International
Mostly nursery rhymes and folk tales, but a solid primer for young reader Annie.

Friday Fifteen

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Happy Friday, everyone! Let’s kick off the weekend with some good ol’ fashioned fifteen-word book reviews.

382721. Lidia’s Italy in America by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali
Great recipes and glimpses into Italian-American communities. Can’t wait to try the Shrimp Fra Diavalo.

2. Ming Lo Moves the Mountain by Arnold Lobel
Fun folktale about changing perspectives. I used to pull this out all the time.

3. Happy Birthday, Molly! (American Girls: Molly #4) by Valerie Tripp
I learned about the Blitz during WWII from this book.

4. Speaking With the Angel ed. Nick Hornby
Short story collection with some great writers. Features my favorite work by Dave Eggers.

5. Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Didn’t connect with me like I wanted. Probably read too close to quirky Weetzie Bat.

Friday Fifteen

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What a crazy week! A Veronica Mars movie, a new pope, Pi Day, the Ides of March, the announced end of Google Reader, a day above 50 degrees–I can’t handle this kind of intensity. Fortunately, we can always count on the Friday Fifteen. This week in fifteen-word book reviews:

1. The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
I was new when we read this in fifth grade. Needed an Egypt Game group.

2. Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry
Read years after The Giver, initially didn’t know they were connected. Better that way.

3. The Commitments by Roddy Doyle
Best use of music in a book ever. Funny and sharp and thrilling, Barrytown-style.

4. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett
In the town of Chewandswallow, global warming means a tomato tornado. All that vitamin C!

5. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Watched the Little Prince TV show growing up. Shocked to find the book was different.

Friday Fifteen

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It’s a gross Friday in these parts, but it’s also a certain playwright Walt McGough’s birthday, which makes the day infinitely better. To celebrate, today’s Friday Fifteen is all about plays. Here we go!

1. Arsenic and Old Lace by Joseph Kesselring
First play I read. We acted it out in sixth grade. I was Agatha.

2. Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
I spent the entire play hating Willie Loman and waiting for him to die.

3. The Tempest by William Shakespeare
Inspired a YA short story adaptation. Also “Those are pearls that were his eyes”—awesomeness.

4. How I Learned to Drive by Paula Vogel
What I imagine Lolita would feel like from Lolita’s point of view.

5. Wit by Margaret Edson
Stunning depiction of a prickly Donne scholar with cancer. Edson’s first play–the mind boggles.