infogdss29's reviews
3012 reviews

A summer internship at a women’s magazine introduces Long Island ingénue Chrissy Gibbons to the glamorous world of high fashion at a fast pace. Although the work part isn’t everything she dreamed (no cover articles, just reading endless query letters and working on the health section while the health editor she works frenetically plans her wedding, instead of doing her work), the fashion editor befriends her. Former model Jessica takes Chrissy under her wing, dishing gossip, complimenting her accidentally audacious fashion sense and bringing her to a number of fancy cocktail parties, where Chrissy tries to rub elbows with a gorgeous college intern on another magazine. The whirlwind of gaiety puts Chrissy’s friendship with her BBF under a great deal of strain (Lily’s parents are mid-divorce, and Chrissy just isn’t there for Lily) and there is also an essay competition at the magazine to content with.,The grand prize winner will earn her very own recurring Savvy Girl column and a $10, 000 for college.

All these plot points sound like a lot to juggle, but Messina does it deftly, blending family tensions, working strife, and romance into a compelling, fast paced story about a 17-year-old girl learning that nothing in like comes easy. Not as slick as Gossip Girls, Chrissy’s observations and experience deliver a more realistic version of life in NY and mixing with the elite of the fashion world.

The writing sparkles off the page on several occasions; “Lily chain-smokes guys,” is just one great line that stands out. Clearly, Messina has a word a day calendar like her protagonist: cerulean, audacious, and urbane aren’t words that pop up notice in your average teen trade paperback novel. The chapter headings are very clever, with sensationalist and playful magazine article-style titles, like “Fatal Crush Or Hunger Pangs? Take Our True Love Challenge” in a chapter where Chrissy meets one smooth player. Messina’s bio indicates she’s worked at several “women’s glossies,” and the authenticity comes as Chrissy experiences a variety of personalities, tasks and lessons learned.

All told, this is a solid story, well executed, with a likeable and dynamic main character, and a sweet and satisfactory ending almost as good as cookie dough ice cream. Recommended for larger collections.

This nearly wordless graphic novel is about the kindliest of raptors, Owly. In "The Way Home," he rescues a worm and nurtures him through the winter season, and in "The Bittersweet Summer" he and his wormy friend await the return of their migrating hummingbird pals.

The portrayal of a lonely owl with an unexpected friends is remniscient of my favorite pacifist stories when I was little, A Toad for Tuesday and the Tawny Scrawny Lion, both about predators making friends with their prey. The Way Home has a subtle message about intolerance - when the worm is returned to his family they are initially terrified and upset that he has brought an owl to their home, but he assures him the bird is a friend, and they slowly accept him. The Bittersweet Summer is about sacrificing what you would like so someone else can get what they need (librarians will love that Owly consults books to learn what hummingbirds eat). Owly and the worm would love the hummingbirds to stay but as the weather turns colder, the birds food supply dwindles and they can't stay warm, and must fly south, and Owly must hope for their return in the spring.

The story and accompanying black and white illustrations are aboslutely, utterly charming. The rounded shapes enforce Owly's soft and gentle demeanor. Runton conveys emotion vividly with just a few expressive strokes of his pen. Text is used sparingly and symbolically, with punctuation for emphasis and a few sound effects spelled out. This is truly a book for all ages, perfect for dialogic reading with younger children.

When the SS invaded on July 5, 1941 the Jews in Zolkiew felt lucky they has some wealth, an oil press business, and could ransom a bit for their lives, but still sensed the days were numbered. Clara Schwarz and her immediate family, along with two other families, escaped the ghetto and lived in an underground bunker over the Beck family's home, hiding from the SS for nearly two years. Ordered by her mother to keep a written record, her diary, detailing day to life of a Jewish family in Poland during WWII is now on display at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC. The book's endpapers are decorated with an image of the blue penciled diary.

Clara's story, as told to Stephen Gantz, is chronologically arranged, with each chapter prefaced by an excerpt from her diary, written between ages 15-17. The writing at the beginning of the story contains some nice turns of phrase ("his father ... was on his heels, but only managed to catch his shadow" and "...I could make out the silhouettes of Zolkiew's baroque church spires with their pregnant onion tops and golden domes..." ), but as the tale of love, loss and horror wears on, the writing becomes less distinguished. Many Yiddish words aren't defined in context, the pacing is slow, and the introduction of the entire (large!) family at once over a few pages is a lot to keep track of; keeping characters straight is in part aided by a family tree. A map of the cramped living quarters is also included.

Certainly, the Holocaust was a terrible tragedy, and only by sharing these stories can we ensure history doesn't repeat itself. Although the story is unique to the family, it's not a unique concept for a book, and it pales in comparison to Anne Frank's classic Diary of a Young Girl, and doesn't compare in voice, language, or style. Purchase for larger collections.