It was almost too late. The memories and history were almost buried in the past as the family didn’t want to press the issue. They knew she had lived through one of the most important and traumatic experiences in history, yet she didn’t and wouldn’t talk about it. It only took one phone call to change all that.
This was such a great book to read. I could understand why her family didn’t press her to share the details of her experiences during WWII and yet, Golda had so much to offer her family when she finally does open herself up to them. We know that our own history shapes us and what Golda experienced as a young girl during the Holocaust definitely affected her life. As her granddaughter Brooke brings Golda’s story to light, Brooke struggles herself. Both parties are struggling to bring light to Golda’s past. What a unique story. I commend Brooke for sharing this book with us readers.
The recipes and photographs in the back are an added bonus. 5 star read
Overload. Tony is trying, I mean really trying to find a place to land. I thought the main character, Tony, acted more mature than those around him which made him different. As Tony enters a new school again, you’d think he’d be used to all the challenges being in a new environment brings. Tony even has a list of survival tips but this time, those tips aren’t working. Tony is being pulled in multiple directions the minute that he arrives at Chambers Academy. He knew that being in the high achiever’s program would be a challenge, but he was not expecting this. It’s not the schoolwork that’s dragging him under but it’s everything else. It was a tense and frustrating time for Tony and for me! Dang, Tony really stuck with it longer than he should have. Once again, Tony is facing another school, another day where he’s the new kid and learning the ropes. Hopefully, this school will be better than the last one– it has to be, right?!?!!
He made it. Tony found somewhere safe. Somewhere where he can be Tony and be accepted. Tony has a voice and with others, they learn to use them.
There’s a lot of hard topics discussed in this book(memoir). Hard topics, real topics that young individuals must deal with today. I liked the honesty and openness that the topics are discussed. The textboxes were easy to follow in this book and there was quite a bit of text to read. For mature audiences: there are mentions of attempted suicide, bullying, depression, and other mental health issues. 4.5 stars.
This was to be their ticket out of poverty. Papa’s eyes sparkled with excitement while his brother was thrilled to be leaving Mexico, it was too much work just to survive there. Roberto wanted what the states had to offer, their cousin had filled their heads with everything that Roberto had dreamt about, he was tired of just surviving. Panchito looked forward to this new adventure.
His parents planned out the trip, all the details finalized. The train ride to California was exciting and uneventful. Their parents knew exactly where to enter the state of California, as the family secretly climbed under a fence undetected. In California, their ride was waiting for them, so things were going according to plan. It was now time to find the camp which would be their new home. A camp which was the home to many and would keep them safe, for now.
I really enjoyed reading this graphic novel as it gave an excellent account of how this young boy’s life was. As this migrant family works, the author shows the reader the struggles that they faced and the relationships that they created. It was interesting how they also viewed the United States. An eye-opening read. The illustrations were nicely down and the text boxes were not too busy. 5 stars
If only life was like elementary school, where life was simple and good. Unfortunately, Dan got a rude awaking when he entered middle school and he saw how some individuals really were. His life got worse after rehearsing his speech in front of his peers, as his peers started to bully him. Luckily with a few close friends by his side, Dan survived those awful years physically with the emotional damage locked away within him. Hoping that high school would be different, Dan didn’t know why his parents were pushing him to go to Europe this summer to study abroad. He wanted the summer off, Europe would always be there, and why go to Europe with some classmates that weren’t even his friends.
That summer trip to Europe the summer before Dan begins high school proves to be a life-changing event for Dan. Leaving for Europe, Dan’s confidence and negativity are at a all-time low and during this trip, he has some experiences that he never could have had at home, had he just continued on with his daily life at home. Meeting new people, getting lost, having new adventures, learning to trust, depend, and go out of his comfort zone really helps Dan become a better person. He grows as a person and when he steps back on U.S. soil, Dan is not the same person he was when he boarded the plane 3 weeks ago.
There has been a lot of hype about this book, I knew that I had to read it. I enjoyed the pacing of the story and how realistic the story felt. There was quite a bit of dialogue and action in this book as Dan travels to Europe, but it was easy to follow this story using the text boxes. The different font sizes and styles that were used throughout the story enhanced different parts of the story, which I thought added to the book. Dan didn’t expect to enjoy his time with his peers, he just wanted to get the three weeks over with. As he starts to realize his potential, you can feel him change and his view of the world changes with him. The negativity that has been riding on his shoulders starts to lift and possibilities await. 4 stars
Nothing like an illness to throw you for a loop. Nate thought his stepfather was somewhat of a goofy guy when he first met him. He liked how Ron treated his mom and he liked that Ron was different. Ron wasn’t a serious kind of guy for he liked to have a good time, laugh, joke around, and he wasn’t shy about being silly and fun. Ron enjoyed being with Nate and he injected himself into Nate’s life whenever possible. Nate wasn’t used to an adult behaving like Ron was, so it took some time for him to adjust.
Nate’s dream job was to become a famous cartoonist for a major newspaper and when his high school days were over, he had to do something with his life. Nate tried to branch out and make a name for himself, but he soon found himself right back home living with his mom and Ron. They stayed close while Nate started college and again, Nate starts writing for the school’s paper. I had to laugh again as Ron becomes Nate’s cheerleader, promoting and hooting about Nate’s work to everyone! When Nate finally gets a big break, I had to wonder what would happen to Ron, as it felt as if he spent a big portion of his life, consumed by Nate. With Nate gone once again, will Ron be able to handle his own business and what will keep him occupied?
Nate had noticed some of the signs earlier, but he didn’t know what he was actually seeing. Returning home once again, he sees the changes in Ron as they are more noticeable and more frequent. Ron’s wife notices and others in the community are starting to see a change. I liked how Ron denied any problem and how he managed to explain it. The family tries to continue living life with Ron’s illness impacting all of them and doing the best they can. As the family tries to address this issue, I expected the book to be more emotional, to feel the characters highs and lows. I felt that the tone was rather relaxed and soft. From all the reading that I have done on dementia, I expected something different.
I liked reading this nonfiction graphic novel. I liked the expressions on the characters and the variety of the sizes of the text boxes used. The story was easy to follow, and I liked Ron and Nate’s relationship. The illustrations were created in black and white, and the print was easy to read. There are so many different types of dementia, but they all seem to have a few of the same characteristics. As I read Nate’s story, I could relate to many of the issues he was going through as he witnesses his stepfather changing right before his eyes. That fun, outspoken, chatty individual has now become someone else. Nate reflects on the memories he has as he now travels down a road where no one knows what lies ahead for them. There is no cure for dementia. Ron has frontotemporal dementia whereas on a personal note, my mother has been diagnosed with Lewy Bodies Dementia. Ron is not walking alone in his journey. There are more than 55 million people that have been diagnosed with dementia and many more who have not been properly diagnosed yet. 4.5 stars
Obsession with sharks. Evie spent her summers in Australia and she was mesmerized by sharks. Not just the horror of them (although she does get consumed by this) but everything about them. “I make up stories about myself and my schoolmates getting attacked by sharks.” “I learn where the spleen is positioned, how deep a tooth would have to go to pierce the diaphragm.” As I read this, I thought, as a child, who thinks about these things? Especially a child and if they do, why? I picked up this graphic novel because the illustrations grabbed me. Reading the text, I thought the book was chopping at times and her obsession with sharks was rather comical at times and then, she’d go off into something interesting about sharks which could grab me. It was a rather interesting book to read. If it hadn’t been for the illustrations, I think I wouldn’t have made it to the end of the book though.
I did enjoy the illustrations in this book as they were different. The use of mixed was used in some of them as that was fun and interesting. I also liked how the illustrator used color in this book.
We go from black and white pages, to adding a light yellow to the mix, to adding shades of gray, to highlighting the colors of the sharks, to the bloody scenes of the sharks, the use of color changes the chemist of this book. I’m glad I picked this book up, it was interesting and the artwork wonderfully done.
Informative, versatile, down-to-earth Mexican dishes from a book that packs a punch. When I saw that Danny had a new cookbook out, I wanted to get my hands on it but then realized that I hadn’t even seen his first cookbook, so I picked it up from my library. From the variety of articles randomly situated inside this cookbook, the great Mexican recipes and the photographs which add flair to the book’s style, this cookbook is one you should look into if you cook this cuisine.
Danny starts off the book by talking about how he got into cooking and his story is quite interesting. His mother helped plant the seed as this was his safe place and she was a “killer cook.” As Danny got into his teens, he knew how to find trouble, he knew prison, he knew crime, he knew he had to do something different, he had to get clean. When Danny came clean, new opportunities opened up and well, he’s a celebrity who started his own successful restaurant which has now grown. Danny talks about his childhood, spices, meats, other great venues, sides, and other interesting topics in this book.
The recipes are broken down into salsas, cremas, sauces & vinaigrettes. Next is tacos, burritos, bowls & quesadillas. The third group is food that is not a taco (guacamole, shrimp, chicken, nachos, fajitas, salads, vegetables, beans, rice, risotto, etc.). The fourth group is donuts & desserts and the last group is margaritas & other drinks. There is an index in the back of the book also. Each recipe comes with detailed instructions, ingredients list, how many it will serve, and a some of the them include some information about dish. No nutritional information is given. Photographs are not included for all the recipes.
I liked how versatile some of the recipes were. Trejo’s Grilled Chicken is a good example of this. This recipe has a photograph but on the two pages following this recipe, there are no photographs but there are recipes for Grilled Chicken Tacos, Grilled Chicken Burritos and Grilled Chicken Bowls which use the Trejo’s Grilled Chicken in their recipe. The recipes don’t require a lot of crazy special ingredients either. I feel this is a good Mexican cookbook to have. 5 stars
I didn’t know what to expect going into this graphic novel but the cover and the title grabbed me at the library. This was one of those fantastic finds, that touched my soul and left a deep impression within. Being both a sad and humorous memoir, the story is one that I feel most individuals will be able to relate to, in some respect, as Tyler is as real as it gets.
At the age of 19, Tyler’s mom dies from cancer. When her mother discovers that she’d been misdiagnosed, there were signs of hope but then…. It was now, less than a year since Tyler heard the dreadful news and now……. Tyler’s dad and her two younger siblings had each other but Tyler ………… Tyler had just started college; she was feeling isolated and ……. Tyler needed a shoulder, someone to listen to her, a ……… This book is about loss, it’s about the struggle an individual faces when dealing with the loss of a loved one. Tyler voice is honest as she combines humor and affection in this story of survival after the death of her mother.
Tyler’s spoke from the heart and her honesty was appreciated and respected as she says what so many individuals feel but are hesitate to speak out about. As Tyler shares some Jewish traditions, I enjoyed reading about them and her perspective on them. I honestly liked the idea of the Shiva. What a wonderful, 7-day tradition that brings the whole family together celebrating the life of the individual who has passed away. I really enjoyed this book and it does a fantastic job talking about grieving process yet I thought the book wasn’t heavy or depressing. 5 stars
I remember reading the original version of this story many years ago in school so I’m somewhat familiar with the storyline. It’s a daunting, sad story but one that I feel is important for its historical value and the impression that it leaves behind. When I saw this graphic novel adaptation, I was excited to see exactly what they had done with it.
Graphic novels…….graphic novel adaptations…… this world is just exploding! As a former substitute teacher, I’m all for graphic novels. Whatever you can do to get someone reading, I’m all for it! In one of my classes for my education degree, we had to read a variety of children’s books and discuss them. I remember one hot discussion was about graphic novels and whether they were actually “reading.” I definitely think they are “reading” now but at the time, the selection in graphic novels was fairly limited, so some individuals thought “reading” comic books wasn’t reading. So, I wonder what they’d think now, with all the different titles available. Perhaps they’d see that graphic novels are reading; they have a lot of different subject matter now. I think of the example: Margie wants to read the graphic novel of a book that was assigned. She reads the graphic novel, understands it and whether or not, she likes the book, she read it and was able to follow it. Had you only offered Margie the fiction or nonfiction version of that book, Margie would’ve struggled to read it or she wouldn’t have read it at all, she would have failed. She wouldn’t have gained anything. Actually, she would’ve lost a bit of herself for she now knows that she doesn’t like that book and she can’t read it. It’s funny actually but this argument is still an issue today.
There are some good points and some difficult issues with this adaptation. Again, this is a sad, depressing story but I liked the flow of this story. The author did a great job showing the conflicts the characters face and how Anne’s emotions come into play. As an author, you can’t have too much doom and gloom yet most individuals know that this is part of this important story. This story also covers a lot of time and there was quite a bit of narrative in the picture boxes but I figured there would be to keep the timeline moving. There were times in which the author devoted a whole page to narrative language but it was creative and wasn’t overwhelming. I thought the illustrations were wonderfully done, with precise details and colors and they complimented the text wonderfully.
The story begins with a page devoted to a Cast of Characters, which is helpful. The characters are grouped and I liked that under their illustration, they had their name and who they were in the story. The story begins on June 12, 1942 when Anne is celebrating her 13th birthday and she receives the important diary, Dear Kitty. In Dear Kitty, Anne writes down everything important to her: her thoughts and feelings and the events that occurring in her life. When Anne and her family are forced into hiding, they never imagined they would be hidden for years.
I think after reading this, I need to read the original story again as I feel that I don’t remember everything about this book. I remember the ending being abrupt in the original and again, the ending left me hanging. I do remember Anne growing as a character but I was surprised how forthright Anne becomes in this book. She’s almost too blunt and too brass for me. As Anne becomes a woman, her sexuality becomes important and she’s definitely frank and direct in this area also. I think the wake-up call for me was when Anne sat Peter down at a desk and she got out her pointer stick. Using her stick, Anne begins to explain to Peter the illustration on the wall. I don’t remember that from the original story and I even asked a few friends if they did. You’d think that as a teen, I’d remember something graphic like that. So, now I think I need to reread the original to see if my memory is correct or if I actually forgot part of this classic.
With other incidents pertaining to sexual content, I don’t feel this graphic novel is appropriate for younger readers. Overall, I thought the author did a great job and the illustrations were fantastic. This is one that you’ll definitely need to check into, if you get the chance. 4 stars
This memoir covered a lot of ground but there seemed to be one common thread: Michelle wanted to connect with her heritage. As her mother prepared her traditional Korean dishes, Michelle stood by, trying to comprehend everything that was playing-out before her. Michelle wanted to please her mother, she wanted her mother to be proud of her and food was going to be her stage. If only she could please her mother, the pieces would fit together and so she persisted.
Michelle is Korean-White and we do meet her father in the book. We hear more about him in the second half of the book whereas the first part of the book, he worked his job and he liked his drink.
I didn’t know much about this book when I went into it, except that it was a fairly popular book. I think the driving force about the book for me was how much Michelle, a bi-racial woman, was trying to connect with her mother. Michelle felt a void in her life, her mother would be the one to fill it.
It was going well and then, they hit a road block. Mom was diagnosed with a form of cancer and everything, I mean everything changes. Time, energy, emotions, space, and values have to reevaluated. What has the highest priority? It’s not as if anyone’s desires have changed but now: new necessities have become the top priority.
This was an interesting and honest story and I appreciate Michelle sharing her story.
One Chapter 