One Chapter

So what is a Playaway?

We bought a house on a lake this past January and we’ve been doing a lot of driving back and forth each week cleaning and fixing up our new house. This new lake house will be a place that we plan to use on the weekends and since my husband plans to retire next year, a place that we can escape to more, when he retires. I could go on about this lake house which I will in future posts (boy, do I have the stories!) but today, I thought I would talk about Playaways. If you don’t know what a Playaway is, I hope thatt by the time you finish reading my post, you will. Playaways are amazing!

I get my Playaways from my library. I check them out, just like a library book. They sound and work just like an audio book actually except they are more versatile and easier to use, I think. The issue I have with Playaways though, is that the library doesn’t carry a wide assortment of books on Playaways. They are getting better about buying them for the library which is great so we shall see. I do notice that more patrons of the library are checking them out so that is a plus. The more that people check them out, the more the library will buy. I guess I could buy Playaways on the web, but they’re expensive. So what is a Playaway?

**Playaway case & unit ( shows how to use the device inside the case)**

A Playaway is an audiobook. Instead of having CD’s to listen to or having to have access to the internet/Wi-Fi to listen to a book, you’re supplied with a small rectangluar device that has your book on it. You’ll need to have some headphones and one (1) AAA battery to work the device but once you have that, you’re ready.

The Playaway has volume controls, speed controls, a pause button and off and on controls. There’s an equalizer button that helps with the sound quality. The device tells you how far you are in the chapter and it remembers your spot in the book when you shut off the device.

I’ve been listening to Playaways on our drives betwee the two houses but I’ve also been listening to them while I’ve been working around the house. I like to stick the device in my pocket and go about my day. I’ve caught myself talking to myself as I listen to the book, either responding to what is happening in the book or stopping and letting off a few comments about what is transpiring in the book. I currently have paint on my headphones as I was painting listening to my latest Playaway and the cord kept getting in the way BUT there was no way I was going to stop listening. I’ve also learned that I need to keep a few spare batteries in my glovebox.

Here’s a couple links if you want to learn more or if you want to pass some information onto your library. Our library also have the the Wonderbooks and Launchpads. I read my first Wonderbooks and I was amazed!

Click to access Playaway-instructions.pdf

https://playaway.com/

Answers in the Pages by David Levithan

It became the forbidden fruit. The students in Mr. Howe’s class were assigned to read The Adventurers but it seems that one of the parents found something they didn’t like about the book and they challenged the book before the school board. Ah! This challenge has now caused a mad rush for the 5th graders to read the book before they must turn their books into their teacher as the book goes through this process. What is so wrong about this book? What is the excitement all about? The students want/need to know!! Why did Donovan have to leave his copy of the book out so that his mother would find it?

The subject of banned books is front and center as Donovan’s mother reads the ending of her son’s assigned reading book and becomes upset when she feels that the characters in the book are gay. He’s only in 5th grade and he’s reading this! The author did an excellent job presenting both sides of this issue as it gets discussed openly in a formal meeting with a variety of individuals speaking. I enjoyed Donovan’s feelings as he’s embarrassed with the production his mother is making out of this book and I liked how he handles himself throughout the proceedings to get this issue settled. It becomes a bit sensitive as Mr. Howe discusses his own partner and he openly talks about his gay relationship.

This book was one of those stories which I noticed that my reading pace slowed and increased around the events of the book. There were some great moments in the book, times when individuals spoke from the heart and it brought a smile to my face. This becomes a personal issue for some and you can feel their emotions in their behavior and in their voice. A fantastic read that I highly recommend.

Quotes:
(page 32) ” For the first time, he realized teachers had a hard job, deciding which really good books to teach, since there were definitely more really good books than there were days in the school year. “

(page 98) ” Whether or not you think they’re gay, it’s not a big deal. It’s not the point of the story. Being gay is not the point of my life or Bert’s life. It’s an important part of it, definitely. But it’s not the point.”

(page 146) “……..a person’s humanity should never be a matter of debate. Instead, it is a matter of the highest principle we can aspire to, which is equality.”

Clarice the Brave by Lisa McMann

“It only takes 1 mouse to believe in you. And that mouse is me.”

This is a quote that Clarice’s mom heard from her father which is then passed down to Clarice. Clarice holds onto these words as she tries to care for her brother Charlies, aboard a pirate ship. Clarice and Charles are the only two remaining members of their family. As mice living aboard a ship, daily life at sea, has claimed the lives of the rest of their family members. Living in fear, the brothers live in a wooden crate by the pantry, this is their home. Clarice travels out for supplies but Charles prefers to stay securely inside the box, waiting on Clarice, the provider.

I found myself immediately absorbed into this story as Clarice describes the world around her. The ship was full, as the humans were filling up all the available space. They consisted of two groups of people: the crew/captain and the prisoners. Fighting erupts on the ship and the brothers hear the word, mutiny. What does this word even mean?

The brothers soon find out as Clarice finds himself in a smaller boat with some of the individuals from the ship and Special Lady. Packed with sailors, a mouse, and a cat, this boat which has been cast out into the sea, does have the captain aboard, which gave me some hope. Meanwhile, Charles is still aboard the ship. Charles the mouse who doesn’t like to move out his box needs to do something to stay alive without his brother.

Will the brothers ever be reunited again? What happens to the brothers as they float out in the sea in two different vessels? What a good adventure story, a story of friendship and family, a story that will stay with you.

If You Live Here by Kate Gardner

This is a cute picture book and the illustrations are amazing. I think the language of the book can lead a little one to higher level thinking and the illustrations compliment and stretch that thinking. As you open up each two-page spread, you are greeted with one place that might be an option for someone to live on. Now, some options are more feasible than others but they all are options.

Some examples are:

“If you live on a spaceship, keep curious for there is wonder all around. “

The illustration is a blue & green spaceship traveling through black space with stars and spaceships, rocks, and shooting stars all around. There are people in space helmets outside the spaceship. People inside the spaceship drawing, looking out the window and waving. It’s a friendly homey looking spaceship.

“If you live in a burrow, everyone snuggles”

The illustration shows a hilly tree section leading up to a castle. This section is a ¼ of the top of the book. The rest of the page is life under the ground in the dirt. We see multiple tunnels – tunnels made by squirrels, snakes, turtles, foxes, rabbits, mole, and mice. Some of these tunnels are simple and some of them are elaborate with paths this way and that.

I loved the language in this book. It’s fun to look at these illustrations and the amount of detail in them. I like the paper that the illustrations are printed on too. From a castle, to a submarine, to a dollhouse, to a nest, (just to name a few) – you will see that there is a lot to look at. 5 stars

Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatherford

They came here to find a place to call home. That’s all they wanted. They were comfortable, they found what they needed, and they thrived. They had a library, a post office, and their own little Black Wall Street. A one-mile stretch on Greenwood Avenue hosted so many black businesses that a business leader Booker T. Washington called it “Negro Wall Street of America” and that name stuck. They had lawyers, schools, doctors, heck they had it all! Hotels, movie theatres and even their own airplanes. They were comfortable and enjoying their wealth.

Not everyone was pleased with how well the African Americans were doing in Tulsa. This was 1921 afterall and some of them were making more money than the white population. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.

When a 19-year-old shoeshine man enters an elevator, times were about to change. The 17-year-old elevator operator charges the shoeshine man with assault and causes chaos in the city. The shoeshine man is an African American and the elevator operator, a white female. Town people fearing for the safety of the shoeshine man rush to the jail to save him but are met by thousands of armed white individuals. This will not be the last day these two groups are left with dead supporters. It was heart-breaking reading what was once a peaceful, thriving community being torn apart by hatred.

With fantastic illustrations, this nonfiction book brings to life this terrible event that occurred in history. The author includes in the last few pages of the book some author’s notes about the event and the illustrator has written some notes also. I enjoyed reading these also. What a great book. Thanks to the author and illustrator for sharing this event to our young readers.

I choose a Wonderbook for this book. This was my first Wonderbook and it fantastic! These types of books are new to our library so I wanted to check them out. Basically, what it does is read the book to you while you follow along with the printed text. You don’t need to supply anything – no batteries, no plug-in, nothing. The directions are inside the cover of the book. I pushed the button to start the book, it chimed to tell me to turn the page, and I could follow along reading the text or in-the-case with this picture book, I could just follow along with the illustrations. I could stop the book whenever I wanted also. I see that there are other children’s books including chapter books for these Wonderbook titles and I’m going to look into these for further reads. What another wonderful way to read books. 5 stars

**Inside the front book cover – the Wonderbook directions and buttons**

Can You Track Down Bigfoot?: An Interactive Monster Hunt (You Choose: Monster Hunter) by Bradon Terrell

I wanted to track down Bigfoot, like who doesn’t?1? My son was telling me that there are some individuals at his work who actually belong to a group who does this. They go out on the weekends or take vacations and hunt for Bigfoot, seriously. Boy, was I intrigued! I wanted to know exactly how they did this and what they found. Were this people, ok? Sure, I’ve watched those shows on TV but I feel they hype things up but to actually talk to someone who has actually went out and hunted around looking for him, now that’s crazy! Do you think this is crazy? I think it’s fun and exciting but I don’t know if I would spend my free time doing it. When I saw this book at the library, I knew I had to read it. I wanted to know if I would learn anything.

I liked that this book included some of the famous pictures we all know surrounding Bigfoot. I think seeing these throughout the book made me feel that I was actually on a mission. I do enjoy reading these choose-your-own-ending books as it seems that you can spend however long you’d like, reading these books before you’re done with them. In this book, I liked that they sent you right back to the beginning every time that you finished one of the missions. This book did a great job setting up the scene and telling me about Bigfoot. As you read each story, the encounters that you’ll have will vary.

The book takes you on adventures with Bigfoot, The Skunk Ape of the Everglades, The Himalayan Yeti and there is some information about whether Bigfoot is real or just a hoax. At the back of the book, there are some interesting sections, so make sure you check them out. One was about the different Bigfoots in the world. From the Orang Pendak in Indonesia to the Big Greyman in Scotland (original name, huh?) to the Moehau in New Zealand and Ucu in Argentina these are creatures from around the world that individuals can’t explain. A man with yellow hair and large tusks? A man with glowing eyes and extra-large arms? These all sound interesting and I wonder just how similar they are to each other. The author also gives us other questions to consider while thinking about these creatures. There are also a couple other books listed and some internet sites an individual could use to find out more about Bigfoot. An index is also at the end of this book. I think this makes a great book for children who enjoy these types of stories as there is a lot of different stories within this book. This is not a scary book but carries a mysterious element to it, as you discover and uncover information about these unexplained creatures. 4 stars

Here We Are: Book of Animals by Oliver Jeffers

This is great, fun alphabet book that includes some different animals that you don’t typically see. Sure, there are familiar animals but D for Dodo, H for Hedgehog, V for Vampire Bat, X for Xerus, what is a Xerus? He looks like a squirrel to me. Actually, a Xerus is an African ground squirrel, that has spiky fur, short ears and long tails that live in Africa. That’s what I like about Oliver Jeffers, he makes me think, he opens up my eyes to see the world in another light.

You have to love the way this book feels in your hands, the thick and glossy pages will hold up to a lot of readings and the size of this book is perfect for lying down flat or for reading with someone. I like the simplicity of each page as each letter gets its own page in this book. The letter is highlighted in a hold color, the animal is drawn on the page, and then, the animal’s name is written at the bottom of the page. Sometimes a comment from the animal is included on the page otherwise, nothing extra is included on the page. There is no busy colors or no busy activity, the child can focus on the letter, the spelling of the animal’s name and the illustration. Let’s keep it simple: repetition, and recognition. The best way to help a child learn. I think this is a great ABC book for infants to any age who need to be exposed to their ABC’s. 5 stars

Here We Are: Book of Numbers by Oliver Jeffers

This is a cute, square board book which I feel is appropriate for toddlers. Why? I really like this book but I feel that the language used in the book is too deep for little infants to appreciate. Sure, you can read it to them but to fully enjoy the book, I think a toddler is about the youngest person who could understand what the book is all about. I love that this book is constructed with heavy cardboard which means it will last and the pages are glossy for little fingers to thumb through the pages and really get into the beautiful illustrations.

Each two-page spread in this book features a number from 1-11. This book is about Earth and aspects of it. For #1, we have “1 Earth” and the illustration is of Earth in space. For #6, the page is yellow, “6 things to do (on a nice sunny day)” and there are 6 illustrations of adults and children doing 6 activities outside on a sunny day (painting, kite flying, hopscotch, bike riding, playing with a truck, taking a baby for a walk). For #10, the page is simply beautiful with the text, “10 ways to travel (quickly, but sometimes slowly) and you’ll need to find those 10 ways in the illustration. For #7, the page is an underwater scene with “7 creatures of the sea (and lots of little fish). For little toddlers, they can quickly pick out the 7 creatures of the sea but for those who know their sea life, they might be able to name exactly that there is a dolphin, a whale, a turtle, an octopus, a shark, a narwhal, and a sea lion. I really like that this book is interactive and that it can be simple and also challenging, if you choose. The illustrations are fantastic and so colorful! I love that about Oliver Jeffers books, he draws you in with his incredible illustrations and when you add in his text, you feel like you have been transported inside his books.

I adore the last few pages of this book. The discussion goes to larger numbers. “A lot of stars (too many to count)” and the page shows lots of stars in-front of a dark blue background with the North Star, The Little Dipper and The Big Dipper outlined and shows the connection of these two stars. The last page addresses Infinity. He connects this word with love and shows a mobile constructed of planets and stars with an adult holding a baby. What a sweet ending to this book.

Crocodile Hungry by Eija Sumner

Oh, he’s hungry! Crocodile knows what he wants but everyone runs when he gets close. This book is funny but I think the illustrations help it achieve that. The illustrations are funny and I like how they pop out of the page at the appropriate times.

When crocodile opens the refrigerator, he starts to chuck out everything he sees. Why? Because everything in there is too difficult to eat. Ah, he knows what he wants, it’s at the Farmers Market. Yikes, it’s a crocodile!! Everyone at the Farmers Market runs and all the food is ruined. Now what? Ah, the store. Yup, you can probably guess what happens when crocodile tries to go the store. Where else can crocodile get some good food? He keeps trying but he can’t find any good food and he’s getting angry. Crocodile needs some good food soon, how can he do that?!? The ending is funny and kids will laugh when crocodile finally gets something for his stomach. 5 stars

The Boy From the Woods by Harlan Coben

This was better than I anticipated. I listened to this book on a Playaway and I liked the character of Wilde. He was the boy who they had found in the woods and although he was a bit different than anyone else, I thought he used that to his advantage. I thought this book might be more about him but it had to do with him and a case that he was working on. Wilde knew people judged him on his past but he knew things that others didn’t. Wilde didn’t try to shine in front of others yet he also didn’t let others walk on him- he held himself up and he did what he thought needed to be done. He got the job done like a professional.

Wilde is asked to help search for a young girl who has disappeared. I thought it was interesting why they asked for Wilde’s help but with some professional background he knows the protocol and he definitely knows the area. Wilde’s actions and demeanor reminded me of crafty spy.

When I first started to listen to this audio, I got a bit confused and had to replay the first couple chapters but then, I got on Wilde’s team. His voice on the audio was exactly what I thought he would sound like too. I saw that this was a series so I now have to listen to the sequel to see what happens. 4.25 stars