This book surprised me multiple times for both good and bad reasons. The first thing that surprised me was that it definitely was not what I expected. It was a combination of reference material with self-help sections, plus bad jokes and quotes. I would have taken whatever it was, whether it be a "for fun" book, or simply for reference and information. But it seemed as though the author couldn't decide. I later found out that it was actually a joint authorship by a creative writer and a psychologist, so this makes much more sense. The indecisiveness definitely bothered me after a while, however. I just didn't know what to think. I was being entertained by quotes making fun of a phobia at the same time as the author was trying to comfort someone suffering from that same fear. It just seemed like a bad mix on that front. The actual material that the book contained though, all seemed very legitimate and was laid out in a very easy to read format. I enjoyed the easy, quick read and the common sense way the author wrote her book. The section "Scared Stiff" contained many movie references and funny quotes which I thoroughly enjoyed and inspired me to go watch some scary movies and read some books that were rumored to be inspired by certain phobias. In the end I feel like I learned a lot and had a lot of fun with this book. Though, I would not count on this book curing your fears, it is worth the time to read. I would suggest that you read this book as some light weekend entertainment if you're at all curious about phobias. Most of the advice (for overcoming your fears) was repeated word for word, chapter by chapter so I would skim over that after a while and just enjoy the author's sense of humor and vast knowledge of the beginnings of some of our deepest fears.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
A new student review of Scared Stiff: Everything You Need to Know About 50 Famous Phobias by Latta Sara
Monday, January 27, 2014
A new student review of Back to Blackbrick
Back to Blackbrick is a great book with lots of twists and turns. There are two things I didn’t like about it. The first is how it keeps jumping from what is happening now when Granddad’s brain is messed up to what used to happen in the past when his brain isn’t messed up. And the second is that the sentences where people talking are often in third person, so there are less quotation marks than I would expect.
A couple of the things I really liked about this book were that at the end of the book it makes it sound like real life, and second, the author developed the characters very well.
This book has what every great book needs: action, adventure, surprises, and a touch of magic. I would give this book 4/5 stars and would recommend this book to ages 10-14. Have a great time reading this book.
A new student review of The Story of Owen
This is an amazing story which you will read in one day. When you read the discription you think it is going to be from Owen's perspective or even Lottie's. Never would you think it to be Siobhan, which makes it even more exciting because she is just as new to dragon slaying as you are, so you will share similar reactions. It has wonderful twists and will keep you up at night thinking about how it will all work out. Emily Kate Johnston is an amazing writer. This book is really appropriate and I would recommend it to age ten and up.
A new student review of Parrots Over Puerto Rico
Parrots Over Puerto Rico is a very sad book in some places but very happy at others. The author of this book wrote this book very well, and I very much enjoyed reading this book. I normally don’t enjoy reading non-fiction books, but when I saw the cover, I thought I would enjoy it very much because I love birds. And I loved it.
A new student review of Paper Hearts by S. R. Savell
When reading this book, I felt I could understand the characters. They were very easy to relate to.
A new student review of Fabrick
I think the book is very good. If you want a book that has a lot of suspense, then this is the book for you.
A new student review of Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out
The transgender community is a topic very relevant in today's schools and political scene. Students are faced with the question of how they should treat transgender peers, and the national conversation on the legal and moral status of transgendered citizens is ongoing.
Beyond Magenta gives voice to transgendered teens, and allows readers to see their side of the story. By sharing their personal stories and struggles, the teens have made their thoughts and feelings accessible to the average person.
I am glad that I was able to read the stories contained in this book. I started reading with no intense opinion about the LGBTQ community, and left still not having an opinion. I did leave the book, however, with a deeper understanding of the community, and feel much more prepared to have intelligent discussions about the LGBTQ community in the future.
I would recommend Beyond Magenta for mature teens interested in broadening their perspectives on the transgender community.
Sunday, January 26, 2014
A new student review of The How-To Handbook by Alexandra Johnson Martin Oliver
This little reference guide is super handy and practical! Its directions are easy to follow, using few technical terms. The skills taught will be useful to people of any and all ages. Since reading it, I’ve learned new techniques for numerous little challenges that pop up in life. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning simple and effective methods of going about everyday tasks.
A new student review of Birth By Fire's Embrace by Ashleigh Galvin
A great book jam packed with action and adventure and was exactly what I was craving.
Saturday, January 25, 2014
A new student review of Labeled by Mark Salvatore
I can appreciate the main character's love of literature and enjoyed the references to Steinbeck, Thoreau and Emerson; however, I found it very difficult to connect with the VERY heavy drug usage. Honestly, I would be wrapped up in the eloquent description of a cave on a beach along the Coast Highway only to have the author drop some acid toting free loaders into the picture. I got to like Vinnie and became frustrated that the author did not spend time developing the honest and raw truths of Vinnie’s character flaws.