A CHRISTMAS CAROL 1984

Horrible Histories: Victorian England

"Shouty Man: Victorian Child" (Chimney Sweeps) "Shouty Man: Victorian Maid" (maids employed in "posh" houses) "Victorian Claims Direct" (factory children) "Victorian EastEnders" (poor Victorian families & what they did for money) "Victorian Schools" "Victorian Beauty" "Weird (and Completely True) Victorian Names" "Victorian Floral Messaging System" "Rude words in Victorian Society" "Wife Swap: Victorian England" "Victorian London Traffic Report"

special features from AUJ: "Hobbit's Tale"

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug int'l trailer is HERE!

Trailer #1 Trailer #2:

trailers and other media for MATILDA THE MUSICAL

Unless otherwise labeled, all media comes from the West End production... MATILDA - "Naughty" at the Olivier Awards (London; 2012) MATILDA medley at the Tony Awards (NYC; 2013)

HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON

an ode to gifted & creative kiddos everywhere!

Frank Capra's "Why We Fight" - "The Nazis Strike"

Frank Capra's "Why We Fight: Battle of Britain"

the 4th of Frank Capra's 7-part series of pro-Allied films meant to inspire American soldiers during WWII.

Review - SHADES OF GREY

Shades of Grey, volume I: The Road to High Saffron - Jasper Fforde

Genre: [adult] speculative fiction/dystopian/satire

Publisher: Hodder (UK)/Penguin USA

# of pages: 403 (UK paperback)

Recommended for: teen & up

Hundreds of years in the future, after the Something that Happened, the world is an alarmingly different place. Life is lived according to The Rulebook and social hierarchy is determined by your perception of colour.
If George Orwell had tripped over a paint pot or Douglas Adams favoured colour swatches instead of towels . . . neither of them would have come up with anything as eccentrically brilliant as Shades of Grey.

3.5

Well, I stand by my previous comment: Jasper Fforde is such a literary genius and pretty underrated - at least in America. For those who aren't really 'sciency' enough for the aliens and space weirdness of Douglas Adams (love the movie though!) or who find themselves intimidated by the sheer enormity of Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, Jasper Fforde is a good choice.

I mean, here is a guy who invented the Nursery Crime series, which revolves around a detective dealing with the seedy underbelly of the nursery-rhyme world. And then there's the acclaimed Thursday Next series, which supposes that book characters truly exist and jump in and out of other stories.
And now he has a somewhat-comic dystopian series in which society is stratified by color perception.
I mean, Fforde probably has more genius in his farts than all the spheres of JK Rowling's cranium combined. The world of Chromatica and the different social spheres - all according to color perception - was fascinating. I mean, who would have thought of such a thing? Jasper Fforde is quite a guy, in my opinion, for constantly creating such innovative premises.

Having said all that, my appreciation for wholly original and entertaining stories only reaches so far. For a story laden with exquisite detail, Fforde's characters are surprisingly simple and basic. And honestly, a bit stereotypical. It doesn't get more stereotypical than Eddie Russett, the 20-year-old protagonist. Honestly, the guy seemed much younger and so simpleminded, with only a handful of saving-grace smart remarks and witty comebacks. For most of the novel, I waited patiently for him to grow a backbone and acquire a halfway-intriguing personality. The other characters populating the Chromotocracy were additionally one-dimensional. The enlightened heroine with an aggressive streak (and like a nod to the film noir genre, it's the woman who holds all the answers and the dopey guy who is basically a tool). There's a scheming, conniving girl who wants to use the hero to further her own agenda, the wise-cracking, smooth-talking sidekick who is dynamic but wickedly amoral, the social-climber bad guys who want to preserve their New World Order. Stereotypes, all of them. The one-dimensional characters seemed like tools to further along the plot. And though Shades is a plot-driven novel, the sequence of events was like one cliche after another. One of the most overused plot devices concerns the "I really love you, but I have to marry that one."

It's a shame, too. I have huge respect for Jasper Fforde. The only interest provided by this book was the sheer genius of the story world. I probably will pick up the sequels just to see when/if the "Something That Happened" is ever explained, but I'll definitely be skimming.

With stronger, more dynamic characters, Shades of Grey could have been a real treasure. Would I recommend it? Actually, I would. To other readers not as uptight and picky as I am, Shades of Grey offers a truly unique premise with witty, dry prose.

 

Jasper Fforde's website

more FACTS about Shades of Grey 

a very sweet story

Project examples

ORIGINAL: INSPIRED:

"Oh Yeah? Says Who?!"

Whether it's a short-answer response, personal narrative essay or expository essay, remember this clip! Pretend Schwartz is standing next to you, saying after every fact or claim you make, "Oh yeah? Says who?!" You must provide details and/or examples for what you write!

HOBBIT 13-minute TV spot

A Christmas Carol Mashup

Run time: 1 hour 10 min 3rd Scr. clip

my junior high spine poetry!

Greetings all!

Yes, this site is still running!

The reason for my frequent absences is that I got a full-time teaching job! I am now the proud teacher of junior high Language Arts (English, for those of us were in high school ten years ago). 

We just finished up a unit on poetry, and for their end-of-unit project, my kiddos created poems using the titles of book spines. It's called Spine Poetry, and apparently it's the latest rave on pinterest. 

Here are a few:

review - ENSHADOWED (Nevermore #2), or: proof that I am still alive!

 Enshadowed (Nevermore, #2) - Kelly Creagh

Genre: YA Paranormal/Speculative

# of pages: 429 (hb)

Publisher: Atheneum, Simon & Schuster 

Recommended for: Upper MS (you gotta know yo' Poe!) & beyond

What can I say about Enshadowed, the long-awaited sequel to 2010's sleeper novel, Nevermore? Only that I was just as absorbed and captivated as the last time I delved into this rich world - this rich *reality*- that Kelly has created. I read this 429-page tome (which is interestingly shorter than Nevermore) in two sittings: 48 pages on Friday, because as a new teacher in a new subject, I am often utterly exhausted, and the remaining 381 pages Saturday night. Let me tell you something: if you had an easy time reading Nevermore (and didn't think it dragged in parts like I've read in other reviews), you will most likely be very pleased. For me, Nevermore's pace wasn't "slow," it was "steady," building up beautifully and eerily until the last third of the novel. Since I'd say about 80% of the YA books I've read previously have characters going from complete strangers to gettin' all kissy in 100 pages or less, it was nice to see a budding romance that, well, budded. The pace was perfect for me.
So why am I writing so much about Nevermore when I already wrote a review for it back in 2010? Well, because I think the key to devouring Enshadowed and appreciating it as the next installment is to keep in mind exactly what worked with the previous book. Yes, it is true what the other reviews say: there isn't much Varen. In fact, in the interest of full disclosure (to use a family phrase: "If you don't wanna be fartin' in the dark...") I will say that although we get glimpses of him here and there throughout the story (but are they real, or are they figments?), Varen doesn't actually appear until the last chapter. Believe me, that was not a spoiler. It's what happens next...ohhh, what happens next! If not for the fact that I am LESS THAN THREE MONTHS away from the new HOBBIT movie, I would seriously be crawling up the walls in nervous anticipation for this time next year, when (HOPEFULLY) the final book in the trilogy will be released. HOPEFULLY!

BUT... there is the search for him, and yes, much of the cool-but-confusing aspects of the dreamworld are further explored and explained. Most of the story is Isobel's search for a way into Baltimore and a reunion with Reynolds...while also being haunted by the nefarious Nocs. Isobel is aided in her quest by the wholly entertaining Gwen, who puts the "stereotypical weird best friend" cliche to utter shame. Let me just say: there is absolutely nothing cliche about Gwen's character. Yeah, she marches to the beat of a different drummer. Yeah, she has a kind of "outsider" reputation. But she is absolutely hilarious and can also be sensitive without being overdone. I'm going to need to drop some Gwen quotes in this review to illustrate my point. :)

Look, I've been at this review-writin' thing for over nearly four years. I am very much aware that reading and reviewing books (or any kind of artistic/creative outlet, for that matter) is a very subjective business. I get that opinions can vary widely on any book. And while I don't outright *disagree* with other reviewers (because in all honesty, nothing hacks me off more than when I get comments on my reviews telling me that my opinion is 'wrong'), I will say this: if you like to read reviews before diving in (as I do)...just take what is said with a grain of salt. When the first reviews for Enshadowed started pouring in sometime in late July, I felt a little underwhelmed. Wow...it sounds like 'middle-book syndrome' has struck again... Maybe because I paid too much attention to those reviews, I went into Enshadowed with slightly lowered expectations.
Well, that was a good thing, because when I was utterly blown away, it was a pleasant surprise. So if you enjoyed Nevermore, I'm happy to say that you will more than likely be entertained (or absolutely CONSUMED) by this next offering.

In the meanwhile, I'm just hear waiting on pins and needles (or rather, Pinfeathers and needles) waiting for next August...

Kelly Creagh's website
Enshadowed on Amazon
 

review - SUCH WICKED INTENT

Such Wicked Intent (Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein, #2) - Kenneth Oppel

Genre: YA historical fantasy/gothic horror

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Source: ALA Midwinter

Recommended for: High school & up

Release date: August 21, 2012

When does obsession become madness? Tragedy has forced sixteen-year-old Victor Frankenstein to swear off alchemy forever. He burns the Dark Library. He vows he will never dabble in the dark sciences again ? just as he vows he will no longer covet Elizabeth, his brother's betrothed. If only these things were not so tempting. When he and Elizabeth discover a portal into the spirit world, they cannot resist. Together with Victor's twin, Konrad, and their friend Henry, the four venture into a place of infinite possibilities where power and passion reign. But as they search for the knowledge to raise the dead, they unknowingly unlock a darkness from which they may never return.

--

This review was designed to be spoiler-free; however, spoilers from the first book might be revealed...

Such Wicked Intent was one of the ARCs I was fortunate to get at ALA Midwinter, and after being completely captivated by This Dark Endeavor, I had to know what was going to happen next.

This second installment in the Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein picks up almost immediately where Endeavor left off. If you've read that novel, you know what I'm talking about. And while Oppel's writing style was just as strong, I'm not sure the story captivated me as much. The main area of study in This Dark Endeavor was alchemy (I don't think that's a spoiler), and Victor tried to use alchemical means to save his brother's life. Now the area of study has shifted to what I can only think to call paranormal mysticism - spirit boards and attempts to reach "the great beyond" or whatever. And whenever one encounters spirits, one also encounters commentary about life after death and so forth. That's one of the things I don't like to see even in a fictional novel, because even in a fictional story, I can't help but think that any type of spirit world (and all its rules and workings) is just bass-ackwards. As a result, I was never as engrossed in the story as I was with This Dark Endeavor, mainly because in SWI I spent a great deal of my reading experience being confused, highly skeptical, or just downright uncomfortable.
The characters weren't as likeable as I remembered, either. I mentioned Victor's megalomaniac personality and his intense need for approval dueling with his sensitive, well intentioned and sometimes compassionate nature. Those were the qualities that endeared me to him. But here, Victor was mainly just a bully and a narcissist who sauntered through the novel getting his way by forcing his will on everyone else. Likewise, Elizabeth wasn't near as likeable as in the first installment. Between perfect Konrad and brooding Victor, Elizabeth was presented as the voice of reason - she was spiritual to their scientific, level-headed to their impulsive. But in this installment, Elizabeth took on an obsessive and borderline crazy personality. I'm serious - even Bellatrix Lestrange would think Elizabeth was one weird chick.
But even for all its shortcomings (and I'm being honest - that's what they were), Such Wicked Intent's saving grace was in its commentary. I've said before in reviews that what gets me going is not so much the content in a book, but the message behind the content, or the approving or disapproving way in which it's portrayed. What made SWI so brilliant was the feeling of watching an impending trainwreck in slow-motion. Any reader who knows more than a little about Frankenstein ultimately knows what grand finale we're moving towards. And as bummed out as I was that Victor lost a lot of his likeability with me, I loved seeing the intensity give way to madness. I may not necessarily like Victor any more, but I still understand him.

 

The previous book in the series, This Dark Endeavor, will be one of the Texas Lone Star books for the 2012-2013 year. Good choice, TX librarians! 

REVIEW - Deadweather & Sunrise (Chronicles of Egg)

Deadweather & Sunrise (Chronicles of Egg, #1)  - Geoff Rodkey

Source: ALA Midwinter

# of pages: 295 (ARC)

Recommended for: 11 & up

Deadweather and Sunrise, the first installment in the new "Chronicles of Egg" series, is exactly the kind of book I had been desperate to read: exciting and action-packed, witty, heartfelt, and rather sophisticated. After being disappointed and underwhelmed by novels in the older, "teen fiction," I decided to go back to the younger end of the YA spectrum (a la Artemis Fowl, Percy Jackson and the like). The book reminded me of what I consider to be the "Golden Age" of Young Adult fiction, from 2001-2008, a time in which similarly well-written, exciting and authentic novels were being published. I think that author Geoff Rodkey really has a winner with this one, and I definitely think he's in the same company as Eoin Colfer, Michael Scott, Jonathan Stroud and Rick Riordan as far as style. D&S is also a prime example of why I wish there was a better term for novels that are marketed to the younger-than-teenagers crowd - "middle grade" doesn't seem to cut it. It's been my experience that a lot of readers pass over such books because of a misconception that they're somehow "juvenile," and in fact, lately I've gotten the impression that when it comes to publishers and [adult] readers, the "middle grade" label has a sort of stepchild status. I have to say, D&S is one of the most original, authentic and well-written BOOKS that I've read in months. Even though I get why Putnam labeled it grades 3-5 for marketing reasons, I would definitely categorize this novel as perfect for the middle school/preteen crowd and beyond. In my opinion, this novel is too mature to warrant an elementary grade leveling.
The novel centers around the young Egbert (called "Egg"), who lives a thankless life on his quasi-negligent father's ugly fruit plantation on the pitiful island of Deadweather (which reminded me of Houston in the summer). By chance, Egg winds up on the beautiful but treacherous island of Sunrise, where he draws the attention of a ruthless tycoon, meets and becomes infatuated with said tycoon's daughter (a delightful character with a not-so-delightful name of "Millicent"), is wrongly accused of murder (it's a bit complicated) and soon finds himself caught up in the dangerous world of rival pirate gangs. I appreciated that the pirates in question weren't portrayed as harmless, goofy caricatures (like that silly stop-motion flick The Pirates or that even sillier live-action flick, Hook) but as actually mad, bad, and dangerous to know. Even the pirates of Pirates of the Caribbean were more mild than the ones presented here. And I liked that. Like I said, D&S had a sort of sophistication to it that I don't see in a lot of novels nowadays. This wasn't just an "oh-how-cute" book. I found myself absolutely absorbed in the story and felt a connection to the main characters. Also, there were several times throughout the novel when Rodkey completely had me guessing what would happen next. After the slew of predictable and formulaic teen-fiction novels I'd read recently, that was a welcome change.
What I want prospective readers to know about Deadweather and Sunrise is how fun and authentic it is. Please don't let the illustrated cover design fool you - this book has way more going for it than you may assume. I don't think it's premature in the least to say that the "Chronicles of Egg" looks to be one of the most promising new series I've seen in the last 2-3 years. Like I said, D&S has a very authentic feel to it, but it also has a sophistication and a sort of maturity to it that I can't quite describe. There were several times when I was absolutely nervous for the characters and the situation they were in. And I think that's the mark of a truly gifted author: someone who's able to get the reader to really feel for the characters and what's going on in the story. They also skillfully employ allusions and innuendos in order to create an emotional reaction, rather than pander to the audience by resorting to edgy or TMI scenarios. Hats off to Geoff Rodkey!
I have no idea how I'm going to quell the need for the next installment! What I do know is that I've found a real winner with Deadweather and Sunrise, and I will definitely be recommending this novel to my students.

  

series website

buy on Amazon

Review - MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH

Masque of the Red Death - Bethany Griffin

Genre: YA Horror/Paranormal/?

Publisher: Harper Collins

Recommended for: HS & Up

Source: ARC from Trade

 --

Everything is in ruins.

A devastating plague has decimated the population. And those who are left live in fear of catching it as the city crumbles to pieces around them.

So what does Araby Worth have to live for?

Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery make-up . . . and tantalizing ways to forget it all.

But in the depths of the club—in the depths of her own despair—Araby will find more than oblivion. She will find Will, the terribly handsome proprietor of the club. And Elliott, the wickedly smart aristocrat. Neither boy is what he seems. Both have secrets. Everyone does.

And Araby may find something not just to live for, but to fight for—no matter what it costs her.

Pretty intriguing synopsis, huh? It's not what it seems! The synopsis makes it seem loads more interesting than it actually is - believe me.I tried so hard to like this book. And on the surface, there's nothing really wrong with it and nothing that would keep me from liking it. I want to point out that for a story that has a "Debauchery Club," it was pretty tame. Surprisingly tame. But Masque ended up thoroughly confusing me on many levels. I don't even know what to call this book: it's not a dystopian, it's not really a paranormal, and frankly, one airship and a bunch of corsets doesn't qualify as a steampunk in my eyes. So what is this, exactly? A neo-Gothic horror story? There wasn't enough 'horror,' though, because halfway through the novel the focus shifts away from decay and despair to seeds of revolution. To be honest, it read like a story with no clear direction, like it couldn't make up its mind if it was going to be character-driven, or plot driven. And so (for me), it basically failed at both. By contrast, one of the powerful elements of Poe's works is his dark and melancholy mood. Dark, but with just a hint of suspense, of something big that's about to happen. That mood did not carry over into Masque of the Red Death the way it did in Nevermore. 

But for me, the biggest "thing" about Masque was the characters' sheer lack of motivation and the way they related to each other. I actually get why Araby would want to waste away her days in the Debauchery Club. What I don't get is why she gets involved in a plot to overthrow the Prince, or why other characters did what they did, if that makes sense. The other big "thing" about this book was the stark contrast between character descriptions and character actions. None of the characters had any clearly-defined personalities and as a result, everybody seemed pretty schizophrenic. In one chapter, a girl would be a complete airhead and quintessential 'mean girl' - a few chapters later, the same girl would be giving orders and plotting to overthrow the Prince. And that would have been near genius (the whole 'appearance vs. reality' motif) if I got the feeling that the author did it on purpose. But I didn't get that feeling. The feeling I got is that Masque of the Red Death is populated by characters that lack any defining personalities or motivations. They just do and say whatever suits the current mood. The whole thing was rather bizarre. 

 And much like Daughter of Smoke and Bone, there was a twist at the end that I didn't see coming. Also like Daughter of Smoke and Bone, I did not care for the twist, and thought it was actually handled in a very sloppy manner. I genuinely believe that having a major twist at the end ONLY WORKS if it makes SENSE. Otherwise, it's just useless and confusing. And this twist, like I said, was one of the sloppiest-written twists I've ever read.

Overall, Masque of the Red Death didn't hold up for me. Like I said, I tried very hard to like this book (harder than I've tried for any other book in a long time) and I compliment Bethany Griffin on taking one of Edgar Allan Poe's best-known stories and giving it a unique spin. I know that there will be many who will love this book, and in this case, I would say judge it for yourself. For me, though, it takes a special book to hold up Poe's dynamic legacy, and this just wasn't it.

FINAL RATING: 

review - FROI OF THE EXILES

 
Froi of the Exiles (Lumatere, #2) - Melina Marchetta

Genre: Fantasy 

Publisher: Candlewick 

Source: ALA Midwinter 

Froi of the Exiles @ Common Sense Media

(note: the reviewer is way more enthusiastic than I am in in this post, and while I do not agree at all with her opinion of the novel or its 'educational value' and 'characters as role models,' I do agree that her content assessments are accurate)

This review is written to be a continuation of the previous post, which was a review of Finnikin of the Rock, the previous novel in this series. I wasn't even going to post this "review" on my site, because I don't usually take the tone that I'm about to take, but I do want to go on the record and not beat around the bush about my feelings...

Admission: I only read the first 100 or so pages when I wrote this review. That is all I needed to read in order to fully decide how I felt about this particular installment, given that I already trudged through the first book, and Froi of the Exiles is nothing but the second verse of the same old song. 

I don't think I will ever finish this, and it's because I don't want to join the ranks of all the other delusional readers out there who think that characters like this are okay. Maybe I just have a problem with this book existing. After all, the "beloved" main character is a guy who tried to force himself on someone in the first book. How dare we try and tell teenagers that that behavior is acceptable, or even redeemable. I want no part of it. I don't have to answer for anyone's behavior but my own, and I don't want to be "enlightened" enough to ever think that these characters - most of whom are absolutely scum-of-the-earth disgusting, are good or heroic. It's too bad that this is what fantasy has become - there's no goodness, integrity, or decency anymore. All characters are soot-stained and all feed into this concept of moral relativism that our society just loves to perpetuate. Literature ought to build us up and inspire us to be better than what we are, not remind us all how flawed and mediocre we all are.

And as weird as it sounds, considering that Jellicoe Road WAS the closest thing to a favorite novel that I have, I will not likely be picking up any more of Melina Marchetta's books. As I said in my Finnikin review, I just don't have any energy to spend on any more characters either as 1. seriously broken or 2. morally ambiguous as she likes to write. It's my perception that there's this feeling among YA readers that if a book isn't seriously complicated or morally ambiguous, it's not worth reading. As far as literature goes, it makes me wish that I could go back in time and read The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Prydain and the Redwall books again for the first time, because they have yet to be matched by anything modern literature has produced. As skilled a writer as Marchetta is (and she definitely has a way with words), her characters Finnikin and Froi are utterly laughable when placed next to such others as Aragorn, Faramir, Taran the Assistant Pig-Keeper, and a host of swashbuckling, sword-wielding mice. That's my disappointment with Marchetta's novels: the characters she creates. Forget Froi. Give me more Reepicheep. And as popular as this modern fantasy series is, it'll never outsell the Lord of the Rings series. Ever.

Anyway...what else can I say? I like my fantasy stories more in the tradition of Tolkien, Lewis and Alexander. I like my characters to have integrity and act with honor, and therefore I guess this is where Marchetta and I part ways. 

In short, I do not recommend the Lumatere Chronicles to anyone but adult fantasy buffs. I would never, ever suggest these books to young adults - I'd be concerned that it would look like I was condoning or dismissing the behavior of the "heroes" in this series.