Saturday, June 26, 2010

Fluffy and Baron (A true story of friendship)

Today, I shall discuss a picture book called Fluffy and Baron. This book is written by Laura Rankin and is about a German Shepard and a duck. These two animals make unlikely friends yet they truly take care of each other. There is a moment in the book when Fluffy, the duck, decides to pal around with other ducks. This leaves Baron alone; but as we watch Baron observing Fluffy we realize that he would not be alone for long because soon Fluffy will have ducklings.

I found this story sweet and admirable. The love that is shared between these animals becomes even more amazing when you realize that it is based on the author's childhood pets. I feel that this book can show children that all types of animals can get along and live peacefully. This book would be an excellent addition to a young classroom or to a home library. The illustrations are very well drawn and many of Baron's pictures remind me of my own dog. Also, the author's note at the end of the book teaching the reading a bit about the different types of ducks in the story. This could be a great way to start a discussion on migratory birds.

I honestly love to pick up this book and think of what Fluffy and Baron must be thinking through out it. I think that any child would enjoy this book but especially those in the primary grades. Enjoy!

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

First Review: Kingdom Keepers

I promise that my titles will get more creative as this process goes on so please hang in there. The first review I am going to do is for the Kingdom Keepers Series. I feel that these books should be reviewed as a whole set instead of individually because they are so good! Many people probably have not heard of this series and that may be because it is only three books long at the moment. I have heard that more are supposed to be in the works though. This series is written by Ridley Pearson.

Overall, these books are for any Walt Disney World fan who has wondered what happens when the park closes for the night. I will tell you though that these books are not typical Disney stories and that especially book 2: Kingdom Keepers Disney at Dawn and book 3: Kingdom Keepers Disney in Shadow maybe be scary for some children to read. This series is designed to be a set of young adult thrillers, so trust me there is not a lot of happy typical characters in these books. This is because the Kingdom Keepers, who are a group of middle school students are whisked away in their sleep to help protect Disney World from the evil Overtakers, who are led by some of the most famous villians in Disney history. The Overtakers try to "take" control of the park allowing many of the characters to come to life. The Kingdom Keepers leader, Finn is the main character in the books and we learn more about his family than we do the other keepers.

I don't want to give to much away about the books; but I will say there were quite a few times that these books left me guessing. I know that for the adults reading this you may think Disney World is not my idea of a good read for a grown-up. However, I truly disagree. This series shows you a different side of Disney. The next time you get on the "It's a Small World" ride you will look at it in a whole new way, I am sure of it! Each book discusses a different part of WDW. The first book Kingdom Keepers Disney After Dark shows us the world of the Magic Kingdom, while the second book opens our minds to the Animal Kingdom, and the last book shows us some of Hollywood Studios and Epcot. Mr. Pearson did a great deal of research about the parks so that he could portray them properly and it really shows. A perfect example is how well he describes preparing to enter the Haunted Mansion. I have been on this ride many times; and I could visualize every part that he wrote about. Yet at the same time, if you have never experienced the ride you too could feel as if you had.
I will warn you that the first book is rather slow to start with but give it a try cause once it picks up the chapters go quickly. The first book supplies you with needed background from Finn's vantage point. Furthermore, the other two books do not have this problem. These books are perfect if you want to read something that will allow you to become engrossed in another place. I saw myself multiple times, trying to figure out the clues with the Keepers and feeling very proud of myself when I did.

These books will be great for 11 years old and up (especially if the child can handle books like Goosebumps). I will be honest I am a big wuss; and I didn't have to leave the light on after reading this. I give the series so far two thumbs up. I look forward to the next book.

Until next time, keep reading.

Welcome to my blog!!

Hello all that might read this! I am creating this blog because of my interest in children/young adult literature. Being in the education field has introduced me to the wonder that is children's books. It is because of this that I have been reading them so that I could relate to my students. This blog will be used as an outlet for my reviews for these books. If you disagree with my opinion that is fine. In fact, I would love to create a dialogue on here about these books, just please be appropriate. I don't know how may wander on to this blog. I hope that this can be a fun time for you as it will be for me and once again welcome.