It went off the rails pretty quickly! I suggest that you read the first book in this series before you tackle this book, as you’ll want to enjoy this ride to the fullest effect. There was quite a bit of drama amongst the characters even before this book began. As things started to heat up, I had a hard time putting this book down. Taking off right where the previous book left off, Mindy’s not just wrapping things up inside this book, Mindy begins by stoking up the fire. Into this dark storyline, I met some fantastic characters that I didn’t trust but they fit perfectly inside this story. Thanks, Mindy, for that fantastic ending.
I was looking forward to reading this book with my grandsons but I think we all felt disappointed in the story. I was confused with the whole story and I thought the Berenstain Bears had better storylines than this. My grandson’s (ages 3 and 3.5) read it with me a few times and boy, they had some questions. They wanted to know why the Easter Bunny didn’t come the first time, where the bunnies came from when the Easter Bunny needed help, and where the bunnies were taking the candy at the end of the story. From reading the story and the looking at the illustrations, I had no idea so we just came up with some answers together.
The story is about Easter, a holiday that the Berenstain Family loves. It’s Easter morning and the family can’t find any Easter eggs. They hunt around the house and no one can find any traces that the Easter Bunny has been there. That’s ok! Papa Bear will dress up like the Easter Bunny and hide the eggs. If only, it was that easy.
Papa Bear tries but he can’t take the place of the Easter Bunny so the family takes off to search for the actual Easter Bunny. They locate his house and each of the children tell him that they need him, in their own way. Why he didn’t come earlier, I have no idea. He must act quickly if he’s going to try to save this Easter.
My older children grew up reading the Berenstain Bears so I was excited to start my grandchildren on them but this book fell short on my expectations. I remember reading stories to my own children and they had life lessons or principles in them. I still have all their original books. I felt this book was self-centered. I love Easter, I love candy and eggs. I didn’t get any so someone get some for me. Daddy tried but he didn’t do a good enough job so I’m still not happy. Find the Easter Bunny and tell him I need him to get me some candy and eggs. He worked hard. I got my candy and eggs and now, I am happy. That’s just my opinion but what about individuals who didn’t get any Easter candy? Why didn’t the Easter Bunny come earlier? Did he oversleep? Could they have brought something for the Easter Bunny – a carrot, a scooter so he can make faster deliveries? Not a good fit for me 2 stars
I’m enjoying this series. There’s nothing like getting some education while reading a graphic novel and if we can get our young readers to pick up this series and read them, they’ll acquire some historical information along with a great story. With text boxes that are easy to follow, colorful illustrations, and a story that grabs your attention and moves quickly, the I Survived the Sinking of The Titanic, 1912 graphic novel, is a book that you’ll finish once you pick it up.
The story begins with the sinking of the Titanic and we’re witnesses individuals falling into the Atlantic Ocean. We hear a few comments from the passengers as they begin to realize what lies ahead for them. We now flashback to the previous day, nineteen hours earlier, when a young girl and her brother awake inside their cabin. Their aunt has taken them on this voyage. Sister is easily entertained but brother likes to have some excitement in his life, hence his ability for trouble to follow him. Their idea to check out the ship wouldn’t seem like such a bad idea but it’s what happens along the way and the timing of their inquiry that turns their little excursion into something big. I enjoyed the use of the different sized text boxes in this graphic novel and the illustrations. The illustrator was able to add more details and provide more emphasis by varying the sizes of the text boxes. The illustration’s attention to detail and the use of color added to the story and helped to create a mood within the story. The author states that this is more of a historical fiction book with the characters of the book being fictional but the facts about the Titanic being factual. I thought the story was entertaining and there wasn’t a lot of characters to keep track of. At the back of the book, the author writes to her readers a personal note pertaining to the book and she also includes various information about the Titanic on a few pages
Another great I Survived graphic novel for children. Addressing the Nazi Invasion of 1944, there’s nothing like reading how a family is forced apart and the young siblings try to outsmart their enemy, to get your blood flowing late at night. I know from reading previous stories about the Nazi’s and hearing personal stories, that this period in history is one of the darkest but each time I read one of these stories, I still shake my head. To allow someone to have that much control and then, all the individuals that followed every one of his commands. I think it’s so sad.
It’s bad enough that families have been pulled out of their own homes and placed into a ghetto with who-knows how many other displaced families. Just when they think this might be their new home, they’re yanked out and their lives are rearranged again. For Max, he had his sister Zena and his Papa nearby until the Nazi’s decided they could use Papa elsewhere and they took him away. Now, it’s just Max and Zena, and they’re trying to survive. Can they do it alone?
I really enjoyed the illustrations in this graphic novel, the use of color was fantastic. The action was nonstop as this family was pulled from their surroundings and became one of many. If you haven’t checked out this graphic novel series based on the I Survived series, I highly recommend that you do.
And this is why I wait. When I first read Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, I thought it was an okay read but reading it a second tim, I found it was a different experience for me. Whether this was because I was in a different place in my life, or my mood was different, or perhaps I was just more ready for what this story was all about. Reading this story again, I found that the first book in this series had become more enjoyable and full of life. After discussing it in book club, instead of gazing into my crystal ball and envisioning the future of the characters, I picked up the new sequel. I couldn’t believe that it had taken this long for it to finally come out. At least now, I would have some solid answers.
Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World begins right where Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe left off, so I’d read the first book before diving into this one. Since the two boys have finally come to terms with their feelings towards each other in the first book, now it’s time to address the rest of the world. We knew the struggle would be difficult as the boys’ deal with their peers and with the family dramatics but they’re also looking at their future together. Will this love last?
What I enjoyed about this series were the relationships and how realistic these characters felt to me. Having other family members and their stories in the book filled out the story and gave us a more realistic picture. These characters struggled, their emotions felt strapped, and yet inside, a part of them was still shining. I listened to this book on audio and I highly recommend it. 4 stars.
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
Do you search for Nessie in Scotland, Champ in New York or do you want to go to Africa to search for Mokele-mbembe, the choice is yours? I myself, started with the Loch Ness Monster in Scotland and then, came back to the beginning again and started other searches for the other creatures because I needed to know how they all would end. I also took alternative side options with each of them for that’s what’s so wonderful with these books, the possibilities are endless.
There are actual photographs in these books and a few of them, you will find familiar as they are popular with that creature. There is the blurry image of the Loch Ness Monster with its head poking up out of the water (or is that really a twisted tree branch in the water). Nevertheless, the photographs help reassure the reader that these creatures are real and that you’re on a mission to prove it. I enjoyed all the different directions this book takes you down and following these paths, they were never hard. The font size was large and easy-to-read which was good and it varied in size according to different tasks. I did feel that the book was lacking in drama department. The book does a great job in providing specific details and setting up the scenes but each of the actual events, they fell short for me. They were over before I knew it and it was time to move on. Where was the drama? The anticipation? I felt cheated. I was tracking down a famous, mysterious creature and I thought there needed to be more: more story and more excitement.
Make sure you check out the back of the book for a list of freshwater Lake Monsters Around the World. There are 7 monsters listed from Loch Ness in Scotland to Champ in the U.S. to Ogopogo in Canada to The Lake Van Monster in Turkey. There is also a glossary at the back, a few internet sites & books pertaining to the Loch Ness Monster, and a few questions relating to information in this book. I liked that this book also includes an index. I think this book provides some good basic information about the monsters presented inside it. 3 stars
Sample Text
“Going inside the cave would be a terrible risk. You could get trapped or lost. No. You’ll stay where you are and hope the shape returns. You wait and watch as long as you can. But nothing appears. After a while, you have to resurface before running out of air.
In the boat, you swap out your oxygen tanks and head back down. But it’s hopeless. You don’t see another hint of Nessie. As the sun drops low in the sky, you realize it’s time to head back.
This search has been a failure. But you’re not going to give up. Maybe tomorrow you’ll have better luck.
THE END
To read another adventure, turn to page 9
To learn more about lake monsters, turn to page 103”
We love Carl and this book is another reason why we do. Carl and his family have headed to their cabin for summer vacation and the parents don’t realize how lucky they are, that they brought Carl along with them. With only a few pages containing actual words, the illustrations tell the story of what actually transpires in the story.
My grandson (he’s almost 3-years-old) and I like to read stories about Carl as his stories give way to conversations, Carl sets a great example, and the stories are upbeat and cheerful. Carl is a large, rottweiler who is mindful of his family’s young daughter, Madeleine. In the series, the two of them have wonderful adventures together, for which the adults have no idea what, the two of them have been up to. Carl is her protector.
Found the park
While the parents get the cabin cleaned up, they set Madeleine and Carl down for a nap. Immediately, they set off to see the sights. I love the way that Carl tends to Madeleine and how she follows his lead. They do get into an empty boat which isn’t a good idea but she’s wearing a life vest, so she’s safe and this scenario brings up a good conversation for my grandson and I. I’m surprised that her parents don’t check-in on the two “sleeping” youngsters, for Madeleine and Carl have quite the adventure while her parents clean and tidy up the cabin. Their excursion finally comes to an end as they scramble back up onto the porch. They arrived just in time, for Madeleine’s parent’s call out to them, supposedly waking them up. Dinner is about to be served and the rest of the book is super cute.
The illustrations in the Carl books remind me of some books I used to read from in the 1970’s. The vivid colors, the way the faces are drawn, and how the illustrations just pop off the pages. I like how the illustrator paid attention to some details while blending in others. I highly recommend Carl books by Alexandra Day.
Lakshmi wooed them but did they really know her? There was so much to enjoy about this book from the language of the text, to keeping all the characters separate and unique, to transporting me to a different place and time yet, I felt that I was the only one who really knew Lakshmi. I liked that Lakshmi was a strong-minded and independent individual but I felt that she was a meddler, when she need not be.
I understand that Lakshmi was proud of who she had become and she needed to be “out there” to keep her name on the lips of individuals needing her services but there were other instances in the book where I thought she just needed to step back and not insert herself. She can get enough popularity, what she needs to be getting the attention for, with her talents, she doesn’t have to be involved in everything. I liked the end of the book the best, as that gives me hope that she can discover who Lakshmi really is. I see that there is a sequel and I’ll have to look into that and see what transpires. I read this book for book club.
And this is why I wait. When I first read Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, I thought it was an okay read but reading it a second time was a different experience for me. Whether this was because I was in a different place in my life, or my mood at the time, or perhaps I was just more ready for it, I found this first book in this series had become more enjoyable and encompassing. After discussing it in book club, instead of gazing into my crystal ball and envisioning the future of the characters, I picked up the new sequel. I couldn’t believe that it had taken this long for it to finally come out. At least now, I would have some solid answers.
Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World begins right where Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe left off, so I’d read the first book before diving into this one. Since the two boys have finally come to terms with their feelings towards each other in the first book, now it’s time to address the rest of the world. We knew the struggle would be difficult as the boys’ deal with their peers and with the family dramatics but they also are looking at their future together. Will this love last?
What I enjoyed about this series were the relationships and how lifelike these characters felt. Having other family members and their stories brought into the book filled out the story and gave us a true picture. These characters struggled, their emotions felt strapped, and yet inside some of them were really glowing. I listened to this book on audio and I highly recommend it. 4 stars.
One Chapter 