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librarybonanza's reviews
2568 reviews
On Our Way! What a Day! by JaNay Brown-Wood
3.5
Six siblings are walking to grandma's house for her birthday. On the way, they hope to find a birthday present. While the kids love the magic of everyday objects like pinecones, coins, and stones, they don't think grandma will be impressed. When the kids arrive with a rollicking song, grandma is as happy as can be.
I Can Help in the Neighborhood by David Hyde Costello
4.0
A pay-it-forward story featuring animals in a city park. Watercolor illustrations amplify the charming message of helping your neighbors. 1-2 sentences per spread make this extra attractive for storytime (although the physical book is on the smaller side).
Maisy Big, Maisy Small by Lucy Cousins
3.5
Concept Skill: Opposites
Lucy Cousins always provides perfect read-aloud material with big pages and bold illustrations. Bonus: although no narrative is present, the text rhymes, giving the book an added oomph for the storytime crowd.
Lucy Cousins always provides perfect read-aloud material with big pages and bold illustrations. Bonus: although no narrative is present, the text rhymes, giving the book an added oomph for the storytime crowd.
L Is for Love by Angela Brooksbank, Atinuke
4.0
A family travels to the city for an all-day trip to sell their lemon crop. Gorgeous illustrations capture this exciting adventure across Nigeria, giving life to the simple text of Atinuke.
Seven Samosas: Counting at the Market by Kabir Sehgal, Surishtha Sehgal
4.0
Familiar Experience: Grocery shopping with grandpa
Location: India
A grandfather and his granddaughter are off to the market to fetch some tasty bites for a celebration later (grandma's birthday maybe?). Counting down from 20, it's hard to read this book without getting grumbles in your tummy. 1-2 numbers per page spread (with distinct, visible numbers), soft crayon-style illustrations, and rhyming, simple text make this an excellent read-aloud and beginning introduction to numbers higher than 10.
Location: India
A grandfather and his granddaughter are off to the market to fetch some tasty bites for a celebration later (grandma's birthday maybe?). Counting down from 20, it's hard to read this book without getting grumbles in your tummy. 1-2 numbers per page spread (with distinct, visible numbers), soft crayon-style illustrations, and rhyming, simple text make this an excellent read-aloud and beginning introduction to numbers higher than 10.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
5.0
I re-read the series and it only took me half a year.
I remember reading that epilogue when I was in high school and hating it but now I think it's delightful. Maybe co-reading Harry Potter and Crime and Punishment for AP Lit really wasn't the best pairing for a schmaltzy ending.
I remember reading that epilogue when I was in high school and hating it but now I think it's delightful. Maybe co-reading Harry Potter and Crime and Punishment for AP Lit really wasn't the best pairing for a schmaltzy ending.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
4.0
Age: Middle school-high school
As someone who loved the original trilogy, this prequel was extremely satisfying. Reading about one of the first Hunger Games was interesting but I was completely invested in President Snow's origin story. He is one of my most despised villains in literature and this book really elaborates on his descent into "justified" madness.
Throughout the novel, the reader sees a normal teenage boy with charisma, pride, and quite an aptitude for empathy and forging connections with people who may be seen as outsiders, as he is one himself. While the book documents Snow's occasional selfish thoughts and decisions, he turns on a dime in the end and it is terrifying. I love how Collins goes into his unreasonable hatred for mockingjays, providing a lovely backdrop for the original trilogy.
As someone who loved the original trilogy, this prequel was extremely satisfying. Reading about one of the first Hunger Games was interesting but I was completely invested in President Snow's origin story. He is one of my most despised villains in literature and this book really elaborates on his descent into "justified" madness.
Throughout the novel, the reader sees a normal teenage boy with charisma, pride, and quite an aptitude for empathy and forging connections with people who may be seen as outsiders, as he is one himself. While the book documents Snow's occasional selfish thoughts and decisions, he turns on a dime in the end and it is terrifying. I love how Collins goes into his unreasonable hatred for mockingjays, providing a lovely backdrop for the original trilogy.
1984 by George Orwell
4.0
**SPOILER** Although I was uncertain that this book quite fit into the young adult section, a first read confirmed the choice of the librarian. With rather simplistic diction (compared to something like Victorian literature read in college) and somewhat challenging vocabulary, this novel written in 1949 describes a landscape of dismal tire and a populace that wholly submits to a tyrannical overseer: Big Brother. This infallible, immortal figure rules under the law of doublespeak which manipulates the populace into unquestioned allegiance--a never ending spiral that exhausts the ability to question in mere seconds.
As children mature into young adults, they begin to express angst towards silent submission to authority figures. 1984 provides an outlet of frustration that many teenagers feel as they begin to develop more complex understandings of the world. More so 1984 opens discussion on feelings of helplessness against a seemingly insurmountable force. Although the ending is depressing, the protagonist's disobedience can be interpreted as a precursor to more uprisings or it could be a warning to understand the warning signs of a government's desire for total control.
As children mature into young adults, they begin to express angst towards silent submission to authority figures. 1984 provides an outlet of frustration that many teenagers feel as they begin to develop more complex understandings of the world. More so 1984 opens discussion on feelings of helplessness against a seemingly insurmountable force. Although the ending is depressing, the protagonist's disobedience can be interpreted as a precursor to more uprisings or it could be a warning to understand the warning signs of a government's desire for total control.