Showing posts with label children's literature. Show all posts
Showing posts with label children's literature. Show all posts

The Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling (Spoilers Included)

*I have not seen the onstage version. This review is based completely on the script.*
The Cursed Child

by Jack Thorne and John Tiffany

  • Children's Fiction, Fantasy, Time Travel
  • 9+ for dark themes
  • Published July 31st, 2016 by Scholastic Inc. and Little Brown
  • available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books
  • ★ 

Can Harry Potter be considered Gothic?

     So I was looking through my posts and I found this! It was written by my mom back when our blog when it was first getting started and for some reason it was saved as a draft. I know at some point it was posted so I would like to share it with everyone.




     "I have been doing quite a bit of research lately on Gothic Literature. My life just hasn’t been hectic enough. Anyhow, in this process, I came across a syllabus for an undergraduate class focused on Victorian Gothic Literature. What surprised me was the two novels to be studied, the all too common Bram Stoker’s Dracula and J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Of course my brain was immediately reeling to decide which side of the fence I belong on.

     From my research, here is a list of the primary points to a Gothic novel:
  • the betrayal of innocence
  • enclosed space (typically decrepit castles)
  • battles ensued on the villain’s turf
  • an orphaned protagonist
  • emotional narrative
  • a prophecy that sets the story in motion
     I will not sit here and give you a play by play for these bullets. I mean who in there right mind even puts a billeted list in a blog post and expects people to read it? We all know Harry himself is an orphaned child sent to live with his hateful aunt and uncle who stick him in a closet. Is that emotional enough? Rowling has more than a few Gothic structures, but I said I will not go point by point so let's move on.

     What I would like to discuss is battles ensued on the villain’s turf.

     Rowling has quite the creative approach when it comes to getting the heroes and villains together on the stereotypical gothic turf. She has portkeys to transport students, she lures students into dungeons and she takes advantage of character flaws. Above all, she has created such a heartfelt group of heroes that they seek out the danger, starting with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

     Let's take a look

     Typically within the Gothic genre, the villain will lure the protagonist to a grim place (such as a cemetery) before the fight truly begins. Looking at Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,  Harry and Cedric unsuspectingly grab a portkey and are transmitted to the cemetery in Godric’s Hollow where they are to see the rebirth of the tabooed Lord Voldemort. Here, Harry is forced to defend himself against the dark wizard or die.

     Now don’t get me wrong. I don’t love the series any less now. In fact, I have even more respect for J.K. Rowling for her wonderful use of the Gothic genre within the realm of children’s literature."- Tori

     Having read this post it has great points and I never looked at Harry Potter this way. I mean seriously, I don't think most people have thought of Harry Potter this way, seeing as it's a children's book. I honestly don't think I'll ever look at this book the same. I love Rowling even more now for this, as she incorporated this Gothic theme in the books so well they were almost undetectable. This was a great book and I wish there were more posts like this out there!

*This has not been edited, the majority of this content all belongs to my mom, Tori.*

The 39 Clues: Unstoppable Book 2: Breakaway

     The 39 Clues: Unstoppable Book: Breakaway, written by Jeff Hirsch, was first published January 28th, 2014. It is the second book in the Unstoppable series, a spin-off on the hit series The 39 Clues.

     Last time you saw the Cahills, the most powerful family in the world, they were looking for the serum. In Breakaway they found the thief and while Amy, Dan, Jake, and Atticus are running for their lives Nellie Gomez, Amy and Dan's baby-sitter, is looking for the serum in Peirce's secret lab. Peirce is sending all hid goons after Amy, Dan, Jake and Atticus, but what he doesn't realize is Nellie, undercover as Dr. Nadine Gormey, is in his own lab. But betrayal is everywhere. Is Dan really planning to leave Amy and the rest of the Cahills and will Amy betray even her own brother to keep everyone safe?

     Jeff Hirsch was born in Richmond, Virginia to a nurse, his mom, and a dad who worked in the tobacco industry. He always wanted to do something artsy, but it wasn't until Junior High that he started writing. He went to college at East Carolina University and UC San Diego where he studied play-writing. He currently lives in New York’s Hudson Valley with a couple cats, a dog, and his lovely wife who’s also a writer. This is his fourth book(to see more check out amazon.com).

     I would recommend this book to anyone between the ages of 8 and 12 boy or girl. If you like this book try The 39 Clue series and the Cahills vs. Vespers series. Also visit the39clues.com for fun games and puzzles.

To buy the book go to one of the following websites:

*I got this book from Netgalley.com*

Tanglewreck



  Tanglewreck, by Jeanette Winterson, was first published January 1, 2006 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens.

  Time tornadoes are sweeping people away and placing them in different times. Strange people from the seventeenth century are living underground. It's up to Silver to find the Timekeeper and restore time to it's natural state. She needs the help of Gabriel to find and repair the Timekeeper. If you want to see if they restore time and save the world buy the book at Amazon.com.

  Jeanette Winterson was born on August 27, 1959 in Manchester, England, but then adopted and brought up in the nearby mill-town Accrington. Her adopted family was a part of the working class and so Jeanette was not encouraged to be smart or read. The family only owned six books and two of them were the Bible and Cruden’s Complete Concordance to the Old and New Testaments. The only reading approved of was the Bible. Schooling was very few, but she did get herself into a girl's grammar school and from there she read English at Oxford University. This was a difficult transition because she moved out at sixteen after falling in love with another girl. She now divides her time between Oxfordshire and London where she owns a greengrocer's market.  She is now married to Susie Orbach.

  I think the book was very interesting and detailed. The descriptive words and vivid detail gave it a more lively feel. I like how Silver seems to grow up throughout the book, from a shy little girl to a strong sure young woman. I am on my way to read The Battle of the Sun, also by Jeanette Winterson.
   
  I would recommend this book to anybody who is interested in science fiction, time travel, or just fiction. For more books like this check out The Battle of the Sun by Jeanette Winterson. You can find more books by Jeanette Winterson at Jeanettewinterson.com

This book can also be bought at the following websites:

Hoppy the Bunny

            I recently wrote this story as a christmas present for my sister Kyleigh. Please read it and in the comments tell me what you thought about it.
           

 Hoppy the Bunny


            Once upon a time in the magical forest of Fairy Tale Land a baby bunny was born. Now this bunny was no ordinary bunny, he was the bunny prince. The day he was born all the animals of the forest came to see him. He was so hoppy that they named him Hoppy. 
            As Hoppy grew he became the hoppiest creature in the forest. One day when he was hopping around he came across a little girl. “Hello,” exclaimed Hoppy cheerfully “What are you doing?”
            The little girl, Miranda, screamed and ran away. After a little while she came back. The little girl found it safe and picked Hoppy up.
“You can talk,” asked Miranda cautiously as she walked up. She started to grow curious about how she got there.
“Why yes, all the creatures here in Fairy Tale Forest can.” said Hoppy “Can they not where you’re from.”
“Well no,” said Miranda “Where I’m from animals never talk, especially not bunnies like you.” Miranda was starting to wonder about where she was and why animals talked. “Is this a trick?” asked Miranda looking around for her friends. “Where am I?” asked Miranda “I want to go home!”
“You’re in the Fairy Tale Forest of course,” said Hoppy “Where else would you be.” “Are you not from Fairy Tale Land?” asked Hoppy.
“No. No I am not. Who are you? I demand you tell me right now.” said Miranda.  Miranda was growing angry and was anxious to get home.
“I am the bunny prince of the forest all animals look up to me even the raccoons and deer. Wait the squirrels don’t, stuck up squirrels, think they’re so good.” said Hoppy.
“No.” said Miranda “No I am not.” “I am taking you home with me.” said Miranda.” She picked Hoppy up and started walking home.
Along the way Hoppy tried to escape quite a lot but never succeeded. “Why are you doing this? Who are you! What is your name little girl?” asked Hoppy.
“My name is Miranda. I am taking you home to show my parents. You are my pet now.” said Miranda.
As Hoppy squirmed he got free for a minute. Miranda noticed and picked right back up. “You cannot do this. As the bunny prince I demand you put me down.” screamed Hoppy. Miranda ignored him so he screamed “RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!
At home Miranda put Hoppy on the bed and called her friends to come over. “Look” said Miranda “I have found a bunny in the forest. His name is Hoppy” said Miranda matter-of-factly. She picked him up and shoved him in a tux. “I’m taking him to school tomorrow” announced Miranda as she put him in a bag.
“Help!” screamed Hoppy “I have been kidnapped!!”
“What was that?!” screamed all three friends at once “Are we being attacked!?”
“No,” said Miranda “It was just Hoppy he can talk.” Miranda took Hoppy out of the bag and sat him on the bed. “Look nothing except Hoppy” said Miranda. “Now I am going to tell mommy and daddy I have adopted a bunny.”
When Miranda told her parents they screamed “What” and ran to her bedroom. When they got there disaster had struck. Hoppy had torn up the entire bed pooped on the floor and dumped the trash. “Miranda” they yelled “since your bunny did it you pick it up” and then they stomped out.
“Hoppy what have you done!” screamed Miranda. She started picking up the room. “Until you learn how to act you are not leaving this cage.” She then stuck Hoppy into the cage furiously.
“Hey it wasn’t my fault” he said “I had to get used to the place and I did”. He jumped around the cage looking for an exit. “At least give me food.” he said hungrily. “And water.” he added.
“Fine!” screamed Miranda as she shoved a bowl of water into the cage. She left to go get rabbit food from the pet store.
While she was gone Hoppy jumped out of the cage. When he saw the window he tried to jump outside but he smashed into the glass.
When Miranda’s parents found him they took him to the pet store. The manager found him so he put Hoppy in a cage. When Miranda found him she bought him back and went home.

“What are you doing there Hoppy?” asked Miranda “You were lucky I found you before some other little kid did. Then you would never get home.”
            “Well” said Hoppy “I got out of the cage. I tried to hop outside but ran into glass. Then your parents found me and brought me here”
            “I have decided to take you back to your home” said Miranda. That afternoon Miranda and Hoppy went to the Fairy Tale Forest.
There was an odd pause then Hoppy said “Well I guess this is good bye. Goodbye Miranda. I will never forget you.”
            “Goodbye’. I will never forget you either. You are the best thing that ever happened to me.” said Miranda through her tears.
            The odd pair never did forget each other but they did move on. Miranda grew up got married and had five kids, Joanne, Lacy, Bob, Edward and the youngest Mary. Hoppy grew up got a bunny wife and had two kids a black and white bunny, Oreo and a white bunny, Lanie.

And They All Lived Happily Ever After.

The Dopple Ganger Chronicles: The First Escape

 
The Dopple Ganger Chronicles: The First Escape by G.P Taylor, published in 2008 by Markosia Enterprises, LTD, begins at Isambard Dunstan's School for Wayward Children. Saskia's side of the story mostly takes place in Spaniards House, a big grand house on the top of Parliament Hill. Sadie's side of the story is constantly moving from Isambard Dunstan's School for Wayward Children to Hampstead to Spaniards House.

Mischievous twin sisters Sadie and Saskia Dopple think they rule Isambard Dunstan's School for Wayward Children and everyone else does too. When somebody adopts only Saskia, Sadie says she still rules even if  both girls are not together. Right before Saskia gets in the car Sadie makes a promise that she will find Saskia and they will be together. Throughout the story it switches between Sadie and Erik's adventure and Saskia's adventure.

The Main characters are Sadie and Saskia Dopple, who are completely identical except for Sadie has a yellow left eye and a blue right eye while Saskia has a blue left eye and a yellow right eye. The only other difference is Sadie thinks before she speaks making her the quieter yet more dangerous one.
Page 164-5





The Dopple Ganger Chronicles are known for their interesting mixture of comic, picture book and chapter book all smashed together between the covers. This structure makes for an interesting reads. Look at the picture to the left and see the comic strip on one page and picture book on the other.

In Great Britain G.P. Taylor is being called "The new C.S. Lewis" and "Hotter than Potter". In 2004 his first novel, Shadowmancer, reached #1 on the New York Times Best Sellers. His novels have been translated into several different languages all over the world. His other books include Shadowmancer, Wormwood, The Shadowmancer Returns: The Curse of Salamander Street, Tersias The Oracle and more. For a complete list check out his website at Gptaylor.info/.

I like this book and recommend it to anybody who has the time to read it. The First Escape is the beginning of the epic Dopple Ganger Chronicles. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series to see what happens next.

 IL: MG - BL: 4.7 - AR Pts: 4.0

The 39 Clues



The Maze of Bones, by Rick Riordan and the first book in the 39 Clues series, is about "orphans" 14-year-old Amy and 11-year-old Dan Cahill in the hunt for the 39 clues.

At  Amy and  Dan's grandmother's funeral the race for the 39 clues is announced. Amy and Dan Cahill along with the rest of their family are in the hunt. With Amy and Dan's richer more experienced relatives always trying to kill them, the race becomes harder with every step. The grand prize is to make the winner the most powerful Cahill of all.

The Cahills, who have been shaping the world for centuries, are split into four branches: Ekaterina, Tomas, Janus and Lucian. Ben Franklin, Mozart and Napoleon are just a few of the many Cahills.

The 39 clues take Amy and Dan all over the world. With the help of Nellie, their au pair, they travel wherever is needed to find the next clue. They go to Paris and Philadelphia along with a few other places with Nellie. Starting in Philadelphia Amy, Dan and Nellie trace Ben Franklin's life to find the second clue.

To go along with with the books they have made the39clues.com. You can become an agent and join the hunt for the 39 clues with cards, clues and missions. 

The authors also take famous real people and turn them into Cahills. In book six they take Amelia Earhart and make her searching for the clues during her dangerous flight. Read the books to learn more.

I like this book a lot because of it's mystery and action. I recommend this book to people who like mystery and action. The Maze of Bones is the first book in the 39 clues series. This series has multiple authors including Rick Riordan and Jude Watson.


Gordan Korman writes books 2, 8 and 11. Korman wrote his first book at 12 years old. He has written over 65 books. Korman currently lives in Long Island, New York. 

Rick Riordan writes books 1 and 11. Riordan has written many children's books including the Percy Jackson series. Riordan lives in San Antonio, Texas.

Jude Watson writes books 4,  6 and 11. She is the author of many children's and young adult books. Watson currently lives in Katonah, New York.

Peter Lerangis writes books 3, 7 & 11. His books have sold over 4.5 million copies and has been translated into 28 languages. He writes young adult books. Lerangis currently lives in New York City, New York

Patrick Carman writes book 5. He has always been a story teller. He writes young adult and children's books.

Mararet Peterson Haddix writes book 10. She loved to read as a child and participated in lots of activities.She has moved a lot as an adult and currently live in Columbus, Ohio.

Linda Sue Park writes book 9. She writes lots of children's books. She is currently living in Rochester, New York.


IL: MG - BL: 4.3 - AR Pts: 7.0

Jacob Have I Loved




Jacob Have I Loved, by Katherine Paterson, takes place on Rass Island over a period of seven years. Rass is a small, little known island off the Chesapeake Bay, and about two-thirds of the island is covered in windy salt marsh full of cordgrass that hides tin, glass and other sharp things. Cordgrass alone can rip your skin so imagine how deadly it is with harmful stuff hidden in it. On Rass everybody makes money either by teaching or fishing for oysters, eeling or crabbing every day except Sunday.

Jacob Have I Loved is about the life of teenage girl Sara Louise Bradshaw. Louise has lived in her sister Caroline's shadow since the minute Caroline was born. After only a few minutes of attention, Caroline was born and all the attention was drawn to her from Louise. All Louise wants is to get out of Caroline's shadow and find something she is better at than Caroline.

"My sister was loved by every body but me- 
the one who should have loved her best."- back cover

Characters 
  • Sara Louise Bradshaw - main character and twin sister of Caroline
  • Caroline Bradshaw - antagonist and twin sister to Louise
  • The Captain - Louise, Caroline and Call's friend
  • Call - friend to The Captain, Louise and Caroline

I liked this book and recommend it to people who like realistic fiction. Jacob Have I Loved is by award winning author Katherine Paterson. Also written by Paterson:  
  • Bridge to Teribithia, 1978 Newbery Medal winner
  • The Great Gilly Hopkins, Newbery Honor Book and 1979 National Book Award winner
  • The Master Puppeteer  1977 National Book Award winner
IL: MG - BL: 5.7 - AR Pts: 8.0

The Dollhouse Murders

    The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright is about twelve year old Amy as she tries to uncover the mysteries of the dollhouse. Dolls move by themselves, lights go on and off and murders are revealed.


    Amy’s great-grandparents were murdered but the murderer was never found. Amy’s Aunt Clare suspects her fiance Tom was the murderer because he was drunk and angry at her grand parents the night of the murder. The true killer comes as a shock to all!
 
   Secondary character Louann, Amy's younger sister, is mentally handicap. In the beginning of the story, Amy believes Louann is a burden because she always has to care for her. This makes it difficult for Amy to keep friends and therefore makes it difficult for Amy to appreciate and love her younger sister. Through the aid of the dollhouse mystery, Amy learns to love Louann and have friends while taking care of Louann.
 
    This book was nominated for the Edgar Award for the best mystery book in 1984. Two years later, it  was chosen for the Young Reader’s Choice Award in 1986, an award given out by the kids from the Pacific Northwest. The Dollhouse Murders also received the Mark Twain Award for humor the same year. I think it clearly deserved all these awards because it was a great book.

Bridge to Teribithia

Bridge to Terabithia
by Katherine Paterson

As ten-year-old Jesse Aarons trains each morning to be the fastest boy in the fifth grade, Leslie Burke moves into the house next door in rural Virginia. The families are as different as night and day. While Jesse's dad works hard to make ends meet, Leslie's family is considered rich for the time and only moves to the area to give Leslie a calmer life. Alone, they are lonely and desperately strive to fit it. Together, they build a whole new world no one else can enter. In this process, they learn to appreciate themselves and everyone around them. Jesse even finds a new appreciation for the plethora of women living in his house. For close to eight wonderful months, the pair is nearly inseparable in a land called Terabithia.
Terabithia is a pretend kingdom Jesse and Leslie create in the forest across the river. A land free from ordinary life. In fact, a streak of horrid rainy weather becomes an evil curse from some evil being and becomes Leslie and Jess's task to free Terabithia from this awful curse. This may sound silly to the adult reader, but it is incredibly important that young readers see the value in make believe. Bill and Judy Burke believe television rots the mind. Once Leslie starts speaking of Narnia and other literary worlds, Jesse soon sees the importance of books as well. This is a lesson seldom taught in today's society and this short novel may be just the way to get the point across.

The climax is one I never expected. It is very difficult to discuss the literary merit of the storyline without spoiling the end. (continue reading at your own risk) While Jesse takes a trip to the city with the school music teacher, Leslie chooses to cross the creak to Terabithia on her own. The rope breaks and Leslie drowns. Though this might come as a shock to young readers, the situation gives children a glimpse into a life we, as parents, hope they never experience in reality. Readers are able to see Jesse transition through his grief and eventually come to terms with the incident.

Bridge to Terabithia will remain a timeless classic. Though a few simple references place the novel in 1977 when it was published, the simple storyline of bullies and coming of age will keep readers interested for years to come.




1978 Newbery Medal Winner
IL: MG - BL: 4.6 - AR Pts: 5.0

Anne of Green Gables

anne_coverAnne of Green Gables is the story of Anne Shirley, an eleven year old orphaned girl. When Anne arrives at Green Gables, her adopted mother Marilla Cuthbert does not meet her with kind open arms. Expecting a boy, Marilla debates whether to send Anne back to the orphanage, but after extensive consideration, she decides to give Anne a home. The situation is not always pleasant and often times leads to a bit of conflict, but in the end Marilla becomes devoted to Anne.
The key elements of the story are imagination and emotion. Anne lets her emotion get the better of her quite often. The worst of it being when she refuses friendship with Gilbert Blythe out of pure anger over a childish incident. Even after Gilbert helps assist her down from a tree stump, Anne still refuses to befriend him.
Readers watch Anne grow from a talkative day dreamer to a young lady. As Anne grows, she is able to pay attention more and daydream less. She still day dreams but, the results are not as disastrous. Instead of accidentally giving a friend wine in place of Raspberry Currant, mistakes become less detrimental such as using improper ingredients in cake.

Important Characters:
Anne Shirley: antagonist
Marilla & Matthew Cuthbert: adopted parents
Diana Barry: Anne's bosom friend
Rachel Lynde: town busy body
Gilbert Blythe: Anne's rival