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Book Review: I Hate Reading

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I Hate Reading: How To Get Through 20 Minutes of Reading A Day Without Really Reading
I Hate Reading: How To Get Through 20 Minutes of Reading A Day Without Really Reading by Arthur Bacon

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Whahahahaha! This is hilarious! The perfect book for kids who hate reading and would rather play outside. This book offers tips on how to trick your parents into thinking you are reading, when really you are just moving your eyeballs from side to side on the page. Such a funny book with almost no illustrations, but still colorful and clever.

What a great way to take the pressure off when a kid doesn’t care for reading, and get them interested in reading again! This book is very sneaky about getting kids to read, because when you’re laughing you will WANT to read. Continue reading →

Picture Book Review: Chicken Does Not Want to be a Chicken

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Chicken Does Not Want to be a Chicken
Chicken Does Not Want to be a Chicken by Elsa Takaoka

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This cute little picture book is perfect for beginning readers, and it’s hilarious to see the little chicken trying so desperately to be a dog! The illustrations are colorful and funny, drawing the reader into the story. I love that the sentences are short and easy to read, which is perfect for building confidence in young readers.

I can really imagine reading this out loud to a child and doing all the voices, barking, clucking, meowing, and doing other sound effects along with the story. It would be so fun to read with any little kid!

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Review: Manga Classics: Jane Eyre

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Manga Classics: Jane Eyre
Manga Classics: Jane Eyre by Stacy King

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jane Eyre has always been one of my favorite books, so I had high expectations for this manga adaptation, and I was not disappointed!

Jane is beautifully portrayed, and all the complexity and grace of her character is reflected in her appearance, her facial expressions, and in every bit of dialogue. Simply brilliant! I loved her pretty dresses, and her fierce spirit and sweetness absolutely pours off the page! Continue reading →

Review: Manga Classics: The Jungle Book

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Manga Classics: The Jungle Book
Manga Classics: The Jungle Book by Crystal S. Chan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I liked how this manga presentation of The Jungle Book actually followed the real stories from the original book, including not just the story of Mowgli, but also Rikki-Tiki-Tavi, The White Seal, Toumai of the Elephants, and others. I wish they would make another one for Jungle Book 2 with even more stories!

The artwork is so beautiful, and really brings the characters to life! I loved seeing the facial expressions of Mowgli and Rikki-Tikki and the others, showing their fierce jungle spirit. The action was easy to follow, since each panel shows what is going on very clearly. Really well put-together and beautiful art! Continue reading →

Book Review: Seven-Day Magic

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Seven-Day Magic
Seven-Day Magic by Edward Eager

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In this last book of the series, a whole new set of characters take center stage for another magical adventure! These children love visiting the library every week and checking out piles of books, and when Susan finds a mysterious old book without a title, she opens it to discover that the book is all about her and her friends making wishes and going on adventures! The children take turns making their wishes on the book with mixed results. Wizards and dragons are not all they seem to be, and when they begin mixing the magic with other books and modern-day events, things get out of hand until the children can learn to follow the magical rules and find their own happy endings.

Yet another wonderful book in this series! The winsome and wild writing takes you to a new world of magic and fantasy, every page drawing the reader into the story. The characters are complex and delightful, making you truly care about each of them.

I love how there are many many references to classic books like Robinson Crusoe, the Wizard of Oz, and countless others. As always, Edward Eager highlights several children’s books by Edith Nesbit, which these characters have all read, of course!

Reading it for the second time was just as entertaining as the first!

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Book Review: The Well-Wishers

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The Well-Wishers
The Well-Wishers by Edward Eager

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The five children are back for more magic from their wishing well. But this time the magic is including all sorts of unsuitable people in their adventures, and the children aren’t sure if they can accept these new people encroaching on their magic business.

Can the school bully really be reformed by the magic, or does he deserve to be punished for his previous schoolyard crimes? Will the children try to help an extremely annoying opera diva, or will they avoid her like the plague? And what about the crazy witch-lady from the local insane asylum? Surely, the magic wouldn’t expect them to make friends with a dangerous witch! But somehow the magic pulls through, the children find the courage and resourcefulness to overcome every obstacle, and they spread some good magic around their neighborhood while still having fun! They learn that anyone can become a friend if only you show them acceptance and kindness. Continue reading →

Manga Review: Magic Knight Rayearth II, Vol. 1-3

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Magic Knight Rayearth II, Vol. 1Magic Knight Rayearth II, Vol. 3Magic Knight Rayearth II, Vol. 2
Magic Knight Rayearth II, Vol. 1 by CLAMP

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The three magical girls are back in the mysterious land of Cephiro for a second adventure! They don’t know who summoned them to this alien world, but they have their weapons and the Mashin spirits to help them fight, this time against invaders from neighboring worlds. Without a Pillar to hold the planet together, Cephiro is literally falling apart, and only the three Magic Knights can defend this world until someone new can take on the job of being the Pillar.

All the same things that I liked and disliked about the first volumes still hold true. The plot is obvious, the characters lack depth, and the action artwork is confusing. But the girls are cute! and I like the pretty artwork, and the adorable characters and their sweet friendships. Continue reading →

Book Review: Aunt Dimity Down Under

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Aunt Dimity Down Under
Aunt Dimity Down Under by Nancy Atherton

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another delightful and lovely book in this series! This time Lori is on her way to New Zealand to find the long-lost brother of the Pym sisters, and naturally she is taking her stuffed bunny, Reginald, along with her, in addition to the journal through which her deceased Aunt Dimity communicates with Lori from the beyond.

Be sure to read this book with a map and Google nearby, because you will want to look up photos and maps of all the beautiful places that Lori visits in New Zealand! The way the writer describes the natural beauties of the mountains, oceans, and sweet little towns, makes you want to look it up. And it’s all real and true-to-life, right down to the massive carrot Continue reading →

Graphic Novel Review: The Wendy Project

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The Wendy Project
The Wendy Project by Melissa Jane Osborne

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is so beautiful and sweet and sad. Gorgeous artwork and a bittersweet story.

Wendy and her brothers are in a car crash, and Wendy swears she saw her youngest brother Michael flying off with Peter Pan, but no one believes her. She gets in trouble at school, and sort of connects with a weird guy named Peter. He’s enigmatic and unreliable, only interested in having fun, but Wendy believes he could lead her to her brother. Wendy’s therapist tells her to draw in a journal, and she begins to document the things she sees that makes her believe her brother is alive somewhere in Neverland. Continue reading →

Review: Manga Classics: Sense and Sensibility

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Manga Classics: Sense and Sensibility
Manga Classics: Sense and Sensibility by Stacy King

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this manga adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic story! The manga follows the original story pretty closely, and the artwork is beautiful.

There’s a lot of crying in this book! I mean, I suppose there’s a lot of crying in the original story too, but seeing almost all the characters constantly collapsing into violent tears, hysterics, and/or fits of depression was over-the-top dramatic. Then again, Marianne Dashwood is the epitome of drama! haha!

The artwork is really lovely, and I liked seeing all the pretty costumes of the ladies. The villains and nasty people, like Lucy Steele, have ugly grotesque expressions sometimes that just make you hate them. I love the way the artwork really enhances the characters! Continue reading →