My four-year-old sister Anne tells me off in front of the camera!!! There is definitely some attitude going on here!
Showing posts with label children. Show all posts
Showing posts with label children. Show all posts
Saturday, May 26
Thursday, March 8
Tuesday, November 29
47. Plan B
Book 47: Plan B by Charnan Simon (B)
I have got to stop reading these mediocre books! They're bumming me out!
This was a novella about a teenage girl who has life mapped out. She's in love with her boyfriend Luke, and they're going to graduate high school and go to college together in Austin, Texas. But when Luke becomes physical, the girl explains it to herself that she's "making love" not just having sex. Oh honey...
She, of course, gets pregnant after the one time without a condom. She and Luke are now faced with how they're going to handle the situation they find themselves in.
The ending isn't what you would expect!
I have got to stop reading these mediocre books! They're bumming me out!
This was a novella about a teenage girl who has life mapped out. She's in love with her boyfriend Luke, and they're going to graduate high school and go to college together in Austin, Texas. But when Luke becomes physical, the girl explains it to herself that she's "making love" not just having sex. Oh honey...
She, of course, gets pregnant after the one time without a condom. She and Luke are now faced with how they're going to handle the situation they find themselves in.
The ending isn't what you would expect!
Wednesday, November 16
43. Aquamarine
Book 43: Aquamarine by Alice Hoffman (B-)
I really did expect more from this novella. After reading the praise of the author on the back cover, I thought the tale was going to be an explosion of description, beautiful adjectives, and such detail! But really... Hoffman uses the same adjectives and descriptions so much that they lose their magic. At the end, I shrugged and thought, "Well, I got another book out of it for my goal." There was nothing magical about it.
Two girls are spending their last summer together before one moves away to Florida with her grandparents. One night a horrible storm rocks their coastal town, and a mermaid is washed into the local swimming pool. The girls help her find true love during her brief time in a club's swimming pool. The mermaid, Aquamarine, wasn't some fantastical creature from the ocean's beauty. She was actually spoiled and snobbish. The character wasn't at all fascinating as the girls thought she was. Aquamarine was quite plainly a b____!
This book excelled in its beautiful blue-inked sketches at the beginning of every chapter. They were the spark the text was lacking. I looked forward to seeing what sketch would appear on the next chapter more than I anticipated the plot of the book.
I think the story is better written for young readers. While it was in the young adult section that sported popular fiction like The Vampire Diaries and some twisted supernatural college-appropriate stories, the novel is clearly meant for middle schoolers. I was surprised it in the young adult section, because isn't there a popular family friendly movie about this little book? Well, young adult or not, it deserves to be in the juvenile section.
If you're looking for a quick read or a new bedtime story for the kiddies, this is definitely the book that spark their imaginations. It has a simple plot that won't give nightmares, and it teaches important values like friendship and courage. Looking at the novel from a young reader's viewpoint, I was impressed, but definitely 14 or younger.
I really did expect more from this novella. After reading the praise of the author on the back cover, I thought the tale was going to be an explosion of description, beautiful adjectives, and such detail! But really... Hoffman uses the same adjectives and descriptions so much that they lose their magic. At the end, I shrugged and thought, "Well, I got another book out of it for my goal." There was nothing magical about it.
Two girls are spending their last summer together before one moves away to Florida with her grandparents. One night a horrible storm rocks their coastal town, and a mermaid is washed into the local swimming pool. The girls help her find true love during her brief time in a club's swimming pool. The mermaid, Aquamarine, wasn't some fantastical creature from the ocean's beauty. She was actually spoiled and snobbish. The character wasn't at all fascinating as the girls thought she was. Aquamarine was quite plainly a b____!
This book excelled in its beautiful blue-inked sketches at the beginning of every chapter. They were the spark the text was lacking. I looked forward to seeing what sketch would appear on the next chapter more than I anticipated the plot of the book.
 |
| Chapter 1's illustration |
If you're looking for a quick read or a new bedtime story for the kiddies, this is definitely the book that spark their imaginations. It has a simple plot that won't give nightmares, and it teaches important values like friendship and courage. Looking at the novel from a young reader's viewpoint, I was impressed, but definitely 14 or younger.
Friday, April 15
7. A Child Called "It"
Book 7: A Child Called "It" by David Pelzer (A+)
Wow...
Just wow...
This book is the first part of a trilogy that tells the first hand account of David Pelzer's childhood where he was mentally, emotionally, and physically abused by his mother. It went on for years. According to the back cover, it was "one of the most severe child abuses cases in California history."
I have never been so distressed and horrified by what an adult human being could do to a child. Unfortunately, I was not able to finish the story and learn how David escaped because that is in part two The Lost Boy.
To read this book, you need two things: a strong stomach and a hard heart. I can't believe I didn't cry or sob hysterically. Probably because it was so surreal, so horrendous that I haven't been able to fully process it all yet. The book was so realistic in its accounts that I couldn't put it down. In fact, I read the whole thing in less than a day.
The mother in this story changed overnight and began attacking one of her boys. And there was nothing anyone in the family could do about it. David was not allowed to play or even look at his brothers. He was called horrible, vile names and told that he'd never amount to anything. He was hardly ever given food, and once, his mother starved him for ten consecutive days. She poisoned him with a mixture of clorox and ammonia. She purposefully left pork in the fridge for weeks so that when she threw it out and her son ate it from the garbage for want of food he would get food poisoning. She stuffed and smeared his baby brother's soiled diaper in his face and told him the eat its contents. The horror goes on from there...
The will of that child and how he has manged to lead a completely normal life now is unbelievable to me. It's more than an inspirational story... it's something that I can't even wrap my head around. Honestly, I have no idea what thoughts I have about this book because I am so... just so... I can't even express it. I don't know if I could survive if I had been David nor do I know how I could survive if I had been one of his brothers and had watched that happen to Kate or Anne every day. I was actually more shocked by how the father and brothers just allowed the mother to do that to their own blood than I was by what the mother was actually doing to the child.
I have no idea what else to say... just I can't believe that could happen to a child. I can't believe that can happen in our society.
Wow...
Just wow...
This book is the first part of a trilogy that tells the first hand account of David Pelzer's childhood where he was mentally, emotionally, and physically abused by his mother. It went on for years. According to the back cover, it was "one of the most severe child abuses cases in California history."
I have never been so distressed and horrified by what an adult human being could do to a child. Unfortunately, I was not able to finish the story and learn how David escaped because that is in part two The Lost Boy.
To read this book, you need two things: a strong stomach and a hard heart. I can't believe I didn't cry or sob hysterically. Probably because it was so surreal, so horrendous that I haven't been able to fully process it all yet. The book was so realistic in its accounts that I couldn't put it down. In fact, I read the whole thing in less than a day.
The mother in this story changed overnight and began attacking one of her boys. And there was nothing anyone in the family could do about it. David was not allowed to play or even look at his brothers. He was called horrible, vile names and told that he'd never amount to anything. He was hardly ever given food, and once, his mother starved him for ten consecutive days. She poisoned him with a mixture of clorox and ammonia. She purposefully left pork in the fridge for weeks so that when she threw it out and her son ate it from the garbage for want of food he would get food poisoning. She stuffed and smeared his baby brother's soiled diaper in his face and told him the eat its contents. The horror goes on from there...
The will of that child and how he has manged to lead a completely normal life now is unbelievable to me. It's more than an inspirational story... it's something that I can't even wrap my head around. Honestly, I have no idea what thoughts I have about this book because I am so... just so... I can't even express it. I don't know if I could survive if I had been David nor do I know how I could survive if I had been one of his brothers and had watched that happen to Kate or Anne every day. I was actually more shocked by how the father and brothers just allowed the mother to do that to their own blood than I was by what the mother was actually doing to the child.
I have no idea what else to say... just I can't believe that could happen to a child. I can't believe that can happen in our society.
I just lost another shred of my innocence.
Monday, September 6
Fairy Godmother
I am officially a godmother of a beautiful, 8 pound baby boy named Aiden! He was born this morning (on Labor Day of all days) at 10:44 a.m. I was FOUR MINUTES off my predication. I told Jude he'd be born between 10:30 and 10:40. FOUR minutes off!!!! I couldn't believe it!
I was kept updated all night long by Adam. While I'm exhausted, I'm sure it can't compare to what Adam and his girl are going through right now. When I wasn't getting text messages, I was having dreams of being in the delivery room so it felt like I was there either way.
I was kept updated all night long by Adam. While I'm exhausted, I'm sure it can't compare to what Adam and his girl are going through right now. When I wasn't getting text messages, I was having dreams of being in the delivery room so it felt like I was there either way.
Soon, I will be getting a photo, and I can't wait to see my little godson! He is perfectly healthy and I am perfectly happy! Can't wait to meet him! And holy crap, Christmas is just a few months away! I must begin my all-powerful godmothering duties and get this baby something amazing for Christmas.
Happy birthday, Aiden!
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