Had a good birthday
The snow aside, I had a nice birthday. Did more of the celebrating the following day rather than the actual day, which I spent finishing laundry and cleaning. Whee.
Met my lil sis for lunch, then spent the afternoon at my parents' house. Dad continues to do well, he was up and moving, albeit very slowly. We watched Kubo and the Two Strings, and Kelly lent me Moana, which I wound up watching later that evening from home.
Kubo and the Two Strings- this was a strange little movie, but I liked it. Kelly is probably right when she calls it a mashup of Japanese lore given a Hollywood spin. Some of the dialogue got a bit cheezy but the story was good and, wow, the stop animation was incredible. The details and color were amazing, a visual treat. I adored all the origami effects. In the story, Kubo and his mother have been hiding from his grandfather. When he is found, Kubo must find his father's armor to save himself from his grandfather and aunts. I figured out the twist with the monkey and beetle, two of his guardians, long before the reveal. Still, there were other surprises and as I said, I really liked this one. I wonder if there will be more?
Moana- FINALLY got to see this one and it did not disappoint. I might have my new favorite Disney movie. Kind of sad- this one seems popular enough but nowhere near as popular as Frozen was. Don't get me wrong, I loved Frozen. But this was superior in every way. Where do I start? The music and animation were just fantastic. Listening to the music now. The story was great, a true coming of age story where both main characters grow and learn. The characters were amazing, especially the two main characters. Gotta love Moana- baby Moana is just too cute for words, and the older teen is wonderfully done. She is spunky and headstrong but has a good heart. She makes many mistakes but learns from them, and her compassion moves her forward as much as her courage. And Maui- how can you not like Maui? He's not a nice guy, especially at first. The demigod is egotistical and a bit selfish. But he has a human side as well, and develops as much as his younger traveling companion. They learn from each other, and their developing camaraderie makes up the bulk of the story.
The Book Mouse's Book Report
15. Nasreen’s Secret School: A True Story from Afghanistan, by Jeanette Winter. This was for the category of a book that has been banned or challenged. It was ranked by Time magazine as one of the top 10 challenged books in 2015. I can- and can't- understand why. Dr. Suess and Mo Willems this is not. Most children's books have a sweet, sunny and upbeat feel. This is somber reading for a young child, and I would recommend an adult read this with children in grade 2 or younger, depending on the maturity level of the child. The book is based on a true story. Nasreen's parents both disappear, and the little girl falls silent, worrying her grandmother. Grandmother sneaks Nasreen to a secret school for girls, defying the Taliban. There, slowly Nasreen finds her voice and her hope.
16. Beautiful Creatures, by Kami Garcia (Author), Margaret Stohl (Author), and Cassandra Jean (Visual Art). I read this for the fantasy category in the Read Harder challenge. Actually, I think I read the novel already because by Chapter 4 I began to remember how the ending went. Weird I didn't record it but ah well, it was worth the reread in the manga version. This is a good story, and the illustrations are wonderful. My one complaint is sometimes the order of the dialogue is hard to follow. Other than that, I enjoyed it. In the story, Ethan, who has grown up in a small town, has his world changed with the appearance of Lena, the niece of the town eccentric (I love how the dog is named Boo). Ethan finds himself finding out about a world of magic and history he never knew existed as he helps Lena, who is approaching her 16th birthday. On her birthday, she will be bound to either the black magic or white. This is a good read for preteens and older.
Currently reading: Glow Kids, by Dr. Nicholas Kardaras and Journalism Next, by Mark Briggs.
Met my lil sis for lunch, then spent the afternoon at my parents' house. Dad continues to do well, he was up and moving, albeit very slowly. We watched Kubo and the Two Strings, and Kelly lent me Moana, which I wound up watching later that evening from home.
Kubo and the Two Strings- this was a strange little movie, but I liked it. Kelly is probably right when she calls it a mashup of Japanese lore given a Hollywood spin. Some of the dialogue got a bit cheezy but the story was good and, wow, the stop animation was incredible. The details and color were amazing, a visual treat. I adored all the origami effects. In the story, Kubo and his mother have been hiding from his grandfather. When he is found, Kubo must find his father's armor to save himself from his grandfather and aunts. I figured out the twist with the monkey and beetle, two of his guardians, long before the reveal. Still, there were other surprises and as I said, I really liked this one. I wonder if there will be more?
Moana- FINALLY got to see this one and it did not disappoint. I might have my new favorite Disney movie. Kind of sad- this one seems popular enough but nowhere near as popular as Frozen was. Don't get me wrong, I loved Frozen. But this was superior in every way. Where do I start? The music and animation were just fantastic. Listening to the music now. The story was great, a true coming of age story where both main characters grow and learn. The characters were amazing, especially the two main characters. Gotta love Moana- baby Moana is just too cute for words, and the older teen is wonderfully done. She is spunky and headstrong but has a good heart. She makes many mistakes but learns from them, and her compassion moves her forward as much as her courage. And Maui- how can you not like Maui? He's not a nice guy, especially at first. The demigod is egotistical and a bit selfish. But he has a human side as well, and develops as much as his younger traveling companion. They learn from each other, and their developing camaraderie makes up the bulk of the story.
The Book Mouse's Book Report
15. Nasreen’s Secret School: A True Story from Afghanistan, by Jeanette Winter. This was for the category of a book that has been banned or challenged. It was ranked by Time magazine as one of the top 10 challenged books in 2015. I can- and can't- understand why. Dr. Suess and Mo Willems this is not. Most children's books have a sweet, sunny and upbeat feel. This is somber reading for a young child, and I would recommend an adult read this with children in grade 2 or younger, depending on the maturity level of the child. The book is based on a true story. Nasreen's parents both disappear, and the little girl falls silent, worrying her grandmother. Grandmother sneaks Nasreen to a secret school for girls, defying the Taliban. There, slowly Nasreen finds her voice and her hope.
16. Beautiful Creatures, by Kami Garcia (Author), Margaret Stohl (Author), and Cassandra Jean (Visual Art). I read this for the fantasy category in the Read Harder challenge. Actually, I think I read the novel already because by Chapter 4 I began to remember how the ending went. Weird I didn't record it but ah well, it was worth the reread in the manga version. This is a good story, and the illustrations are wonderful. My one complaint is sometimes the order of the dialogue is hard to follow. Other than that, I enjoyed it. In the story, Ethan, who has grown up in a small town, has his world changed with the appearance of Lena, the niece of the town eccentric (I love how the dog is named Boo). Ethan finds himself finding out about a world of magic and history he never knew existed as he helps Lena, who is approaching her 16th birthday. On her birthday, she will be bound to either the black magic or white. This is a good read for preteens and older.
Currently reading: Glow Kids, by Dr. Nicholas Kardaras and Journalism Next, by Mark Briggs.