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Đang hiển thị bài đăng từ Tháng 7, 2017

Evocative Imagery and Powerful Allusions . . . But There Were Some Major Dealbreakers ⇉ Review of The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

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I read and loved The Graveyard Book  and Coraline . When I mentioned that I wanted to read more Gaiman books, friends highly recommended The Ocean at the End of the Lane . I still love Gaiman's masterful writing, and Ocean  is a well-written novel. However, due to several reasons,  Ocean  is not for me. WHAT I LIKED Evocative Imagery Neil Gaiman is a master with words. His writing is as beautiful and compelling; it lingers in the mind and brings the world to life without extending into long, rambling sentences. Powerful Allusions As with the imagery, Gaiman's choice use of allusions brings the world to life quickly and powerfully without needing much to be said. Creative World Building I love magical realism for its ability to convey a realistic portrayal of the world while slipping in magical elements in such a natural way that it feels believable, like its always been a part of the world. Neil Gaiman does just this in Ocean . The world is creative and, more importa...

Harry Potter Meets The Princess Diaries ⇉ Review of The Crowns of Croswald by D.E. Night

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Deeply buried secrets. A magical school. A quest to save the kingdom . . . The Crowns of Croswald  is part Harry Potter (with the chosen one and magical school setting) and part The Princess Diaries  (with the MC Ivy being a strong heroine in the process of discovering and learning about her special heritage, and also embracing her gender and enjoying a pretty dress). WHAT I LIKED A School Life Story Though it is a story about a heroine learning about her role in saving the world, The Crowns of Croswald  is also very much a school story in which the heroine must attend to her role as a student even as she searches for clues to her identity. I love magical stories that take place in a school setting. It's so much fun to learn about the world with the students as they attend class and, of course, sneak off on secret adventures. A Compelling Mystery Though Ivy's heritage is pretty apparent from the beginning, there are many mysteries surrounding her situation, and more myste...

A Whimsical Adventure with Family at Its Heart ⇉ Review of The Queen is Coming to Tea by Linda Ravin Lodding + #GIVEAWAY

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The Queen is Coming to Tea  is a delightful, whimsical read in which a young girl visits many different countries in search of delicacies to serve the queen at tea. I enjoyed joining Ellie on her journey. It took me back to my childhood days when my brother and I would create new worlds and go on imaginary journeys. Seeing the queen and Ellie together at the end was a sweet moment. I enjoy books that show mother-daughter moments. (highlight to see). This is a book that mothers will enjoy reading with their daughters. The end suggests that there will be a sequel that fathers can share with their daughters. In a future companion story, I would love to see siblings go on adventures together! Growing up with my brother was an important part of my life. ★★★☆☆ One day there was a knock at Ellie's door. There stood the Queen's Footman. "A message from Her Royal Highness." He offered Ellie a note on a silver tray. May I please come for tea? Sincerely yours, The Queen Herself...

Friendship Forged and Real-World Issues Explored in the Australian Wild ⇉ Review of The Fallen Star by Tracey Hecht

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I loved animal books as a child, so when I had the opportunity to review this series, I knew I was in! For reviews of the first two books, click on the links in the table at the bottom of this post! WHAT I LIKED Introduces New (Australian!) Animals Each book of the  The Nocturnals  series has introduced new animals that can be found in Australia. I've enjoyed learning more about different kinds of animals. This book provides a good opportunity to research more about Australian animal life with your young reader. Enemies That Aren't So Bad After All As with the previous two novels, The Fallen Star  reveals that individuals can make bad decisions that hurt others for innocent motives, motives with which we can identify. I love how these books show young readers how to consider things from the other party's perspective, forgive wrongdoings, and move forward together. Provides a Safe Place to Explore Real World Issues As I hinted above, there are real world issues in this boo...

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