The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare
My rating: 1 of 5 stars
There are several reasons why I did not like this adaptation of Macbeth.
1. It’s supposed to be rewritten for children, but the vocabulary is NOT age-appropriate . Even if a preteen was reading it, there are too many big words that a child would not know . If you were reading this to a child, you would have to stop after every sentence and explain half the words! Continue reading
Pirates in the Library by Nadia Ali
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
When a librarian makes a treasure map to help people find books in the library, a pirate crew thinks they will find real treasure, gold and diamonds, and they storm into the library! The pirate crew soon finds better treasure in the books they read and enjoy, but the pirate Captain is harder to convince. It’s up to the courageous librarian to show the Captain just how precious books can be.
This cute little story is full of fun and laughter, and I like the way that the crew all pick very different books on many subjects, and all their choices are detailed both in the text and in the illustrations. The cook finds a recipe book, the first mate reads a book about mutiny, and even the parrot finds a book about birds! Continue reading
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Oh, my goodness! This is wonderful!!! There is Rapunzel, stuck in the tower, with that evil witch visiting her every day. But does Rapunzel need a Prince to save her?? NO! Rapunzel figures out a way to defeat the witch and free herself from the tower, all on her own.
Rapunzel is resourceful and brave! She’s really quite ingenious, and (dare I say it?) full of spunk.
She makes friends with some forest animals, and with their help, she becomes a scourge to witches everywhere. I just love seeing a story where the princess takes action and saves herself! Continue reading
Stolen Words by Melanie Florence
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Such a beautiful book! This emotional little story shows a grandfather explaining to his granddaughter that he cannot teach her to speak his native language, Cree, because he has forgotten it. As a boy, he was placed in an Indigenous boarding school, separated from his culture, torn from his family, and punished if he spoke Cree.
In just a few poignant words, this book had me crying. It deals with a very dark issue in such a sweet and loving way, and shows that while cruelty may impact our heritage, there is also healing to be found. The story is told in a simple way that is appropriate for young children, but also has an emotional impact for good. Continue reading
Don’t Dangle Your Participle by Vanita Oelschlager
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A hilarious and silly way to teach children about participles and what makes them dangle! Any English teacher would be incredibly happy to use this book in their classroom.
The bright illustrations are hilarious, and the various weird situations that the incorrect sentences describe are brought to life in every picture. If you leave a participle dangling in the wrong place, it could be the children at the zoo who are growling over their snacks, instead of lions growling as they should be!
One of the best things about this book is that it demonstrates how important it is to communicate clearly with language, and what silly results you will get if you aren’t careful with your words. Continue reading
The Professor by Charlotte Brontë
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
There were so many things about this book that made me angry enough to spit nails! I can barely believe that my beloved Charlotte Bronte would write such stupid things.
The main character, William, analyzes the personality of everyone he comes into contact with, and he rips these people to shreds! Criticizing and never seeing anything good in anyone around him. Even if they have one good quality, he has to mention again and again how ugly they are or physically weak. What a nice guy!
He’s also really manipulative! He holds back a student’s paper, just to see their disappointed reaction when their paper isn’t graded, and they think they have failed his class. What a jerk! Continue reading
You Can’t Win Them All, Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Rainbow Fish is confident in his abilities to win every game of Hide-and-Seek, but when he loses to a fish younger than himself, Rainbow Fish is upset and storms away, refusing to play with his friends anymore. It takes the gentle wisdom of Red Fish to convince Rainbow Fish to apologize for his poor sportsmanship and resume playing the game.
I loved the colorful illustrations, and the sparkly images of an underwater game of Hide-and-Seek! Rainbow Fish is a sweet character and all his little fishy friends are adorable. This book strongly reminded me of the simple excitement of a childhood game, and I could see my whole childhood wrapped up in this little story. Continue reading
Milo and Georgie by Bree Galbraith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Milo and Georgie have to move to a new town, and Milo is so upset that he won’t go outside to explore their new neighborhood. But Georgie loves their new house, and wants to explore. Milo ties a string of yarn around her and lets her loose on the neighborhood, but when he tugs on the yarn twice, Georgie is supposed to come home. One day, Milo tugs on the yarn, but Georgie doesn’t respond! Milo has to go looking for his sister, and discovers a whole neighborhood full of new friends! Continue reading
The Finches’ Fabulous Furnace by Roger Wolcott Drury
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
One cold winter, when the Finch family moves into their new house, Mr. Finch and his son find a tiny volcano in the cellar, pumping heat and steam into the house instead of a furnace. They decide to keep it a secret, so as not to alarm the ladies of the family, but when the summer heat makes the volcano unbearable, Mrs. Finch and her daughter are determined to know why their house is always so hot! The townsfolk begin to suspect that Mr. Finch is hiding something huge in his cellar, and they pester him for answers. Mr. Finch has to decide whether or not the volcano is a threat to the town, but his children have something to say about that too!
I loved all the clever little details about a family living in a house with volcanic activity! The snow melts off their roof, and their plants bloom in the winter. There are strange updrafts and strong winds surrounding their house as the steam rises from their cellar. All those details were so fun to read about! Continue reading
Death at Glamis Castle by Robin Paige
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Kate and her husband, Charles, are called up to the mysterious Glamis Castle to covertly search for the missing Prince Eddy, who has been in hiding after his staged death 10 years before. The murder of a local servant-woman, in addition to the disappearance of Prince Eddy, has Kate and Charles scrambling to find out the truth amongst local gossip, rumors, and lying townsfolk.
I enjoyed this mystery, mostly because of the human interest, the little romance woven into it, and the continuing backstory of Charles’ bachelor days before he met Kate. Every character we meet has their own little part to play in the mystery, and their own hopes and motivations that propel them into the adventure or keep them out of it. Continue reading
