Not a smashing book review
I read Brian Selznick's "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" and loved it. He was coming to a local book store yesterday for a book signing. I was planning on getting his picture and posting a witty yet insightful review of his book and his book signing "je ne sais quoi." A la kellyrfineman if you will. (OK, I guess I became a little too enamored with the idea of living in a french train station and all things french).
But it was not meant to be. My daughter was sick so we didn't go. No photo, no inspiration for witty remarks. It really is a wonderful read. It looks like all four members of my family will be reading this one. There is a nice article about him in the current Publishers Weekly (the one with the Spring Children's list). And a good interview on NPR (oops, can't find the link. Everything goes by the wayside when the kiddies are sick).
Here are a couple of other titles I read and are about to return to the library as a satisfied customer:
"Stealing Buddha's Dinner" by Bich Minh Nguyen. Adult memoir of a Vietnamese girl and family who get on one of the last planes out of Vietnam in 1975 and settle in Michigan. It focuses on American culture through food. I loved all the food and pop culture references but I thought it went on a little too long.
Two MGs:
"A Brief Chapter in my Impossible Life" by Dana Reinhardt. Interesting story about an adopted girl and how she learns of her real mother and a different religion. I loved that all of her parents, birth and adopted, are loving and interesting people. I'm finding I like books about kids questioning religion and becoming acquainted with the rituals of other religions.
"Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy" by GAry Schmidt. Based on a true account of African Americans being forced from their homes on a small island in Maine. Wonderful characters.
A couple of kid NF picks:
"Sky Boys. How they Built the Empire State Building" by Deborah Hopkinson and James E. Ransome. Nice pb about the construction of the ESB. But why does the children's publishing world think kids can't relate to a story in American history unless there is a boy living the story for them?
"The Hindenburg" by Patrick O'Brien. He's the author and illustrator. Very well, incredibly informative book on guess what? Lots of interesting details and a great story. I checked out his website. Quite the talented guy.
"This is New York" by M. Lasek. I am amazed at the beauty and skill of this book written in 1960. He captures the vitality of New York and included an unbelievable amount of information in what at first glance appears to be a simplistic pb. It's amazing how his vision of New York is still so true almost 50 years later. He wrote similar books about Paris, London, Rome, San Francisco, etc.
But it was not meant to be. My daughter was sick so we didn't go. No photo, no inspiration for witty remarks. It really is a wonderful read. It looks like all four members of my family will be reading this one. There is a nice article about him in the current Publishers Weekly (the one with the Spring Children's list). And a good interview on NPR (oops, can't find the link. Everything goes by the wayside when the kiddies are sick).
Here are a couple of other titles I read and are about to return to the library as a satisfied customer:
"Stealing Buddha's Dinner" by Bich Minh Nguyen. Adult memoir of a Vietnamese girl and family who get on one of the last planes out of Vietnam in 1975 and settle in Michigan. It focuses on American culture through food. I loved all the food and pop culture references but I thought it went on a little too long.
Two MGs:
"A Brief Chapter in my Impossible Life" by Dana Reinhardt. Interesting story about an adopted girl and how she learns of her real mother and a different religion. I loved that all of her parents, birth and adopted, are loving and interesting people. I'm finding I like books about kids questioning religion and becoming acquainted with the rituals of other religions.
"Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy" by GAry Schmidt. Based on a true account of African Americans being forced from their homes on a small island in Maine. Wonderful characters.
A couple of kid NF picks:
"Sky Boys. How they Built the Empire State Building" by Deborah Hopkinson and James E. Ransome. Nice pb about the construction of the ESB. But why does the children's publishing world think kids can't relate to a story in American history unless there is a boy living the story for them?
"The Hindenburg" by Patrick O'Brien. He's the author and illustrator. Very well, incredibly informative book on guess what? Lots of interesting details and a great story. I checked out his website. Quite the talented guy.
"This is New York" by M. Lasek. I am amazed at the beauty and skill of this book written in 1960. He captures the vitality of New York and included an unbelievable amount of information in what at first glance appears to be a simplistic pb. It's amazing how his vision of New York is still so true almost 50 years later. He wrote similar books about Paris, London, Rome, San Francisco, etc.