MG Book Review and Giveaway - Tales From Lovecraft Middle School by Charles Gilman

Note: The book(s) written about in the following blog post were given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I must admit, with all of the reading I have done, I still have not gotten around to reading any H.P. Lovecraft (do not throw things at me!). However, if they are as fun and as imaginative as Charles Gilman's series Tales From Lovecraft Middle School, then it is high time I get my act together and read.

Last year, when I first received a copy of Professor Gargoyle to review, I was a bit skeptical. I thought to myself, This might be sute for kids, but I doubt I'll like it. I couldn't have been more wrong. The stories are fun, funny and creepy! As a massive Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan, I love the whole idea of monsters and demons finding their way into school with only a few "knowing" students understanding why or how to defend against them.

About the Story

The summer before Robert Arthur goes to middle school his neighborhood got redistricted. Now he's headed off to Lovecraft Middle School while the rest of his friends are going to Franklin Middle School. There's nothing he can do about it, but at least his new school is state-of-the-art. The school is brand new, high tech and built with completely recycled materials. But as Robert begins his classes, creepy stuff starts happening, his science teacher is extra weird and, of course, the only kid he knows in Lovecraft is the kid that's been bullying him for years!

Through the two books I have read so far, Robert is balancing the job of being the "new kid" in school with his battle against all the things he discovers about his mysterious school.  He's relate-able and not unlike another children's book character I remember loving so much that went by the name Harry.

My Review

I'm trying not to give any spoilers away, which is why this post turning out to be is so short.  Here's the thing: I love these books. They're the types of books that are fun to read and you just want to talk to other people about. I think kids will love the story and it's accompanying art that brings the monsters vividly to life. In addition, the entire presentation of these books is fantastic - every book in the series comes with a lenticular cover that shows the transformation of the bad guy(s) in that book from human to demon. I challenge any parent to walk into a bookstore where these books are on display to see if their kid can walk by without reaction.

I highly recommend these books to middle aged kids that don't scare too easily. The scare factor isn't too high, but it has its creepy moments and it is full of monsters at school. I think that's fun, and the ending of book two definitely took me by surprise giving me goosebumps. But, let's face it, I'm terrified of E.T. I understand that every reader has their own fear threshold. I think the basic litmus test is the covers - if you can look at these creepy covers without suffering weeks of nightmares, then you are ready to read Professor Gargoyle and The Slither Sisters.

THE GIVEAWAY!!

Are you ready to jump in?  If so, I have an Advanced Reader's Copy of Professor Gargoyle  that I am willing to part with as well as a copy of the lenticular that is typically a part of the cover of the hardcover released books.

To enter this giveaway, log into the rafflecopter widget below and follow the instructions. There are many ways to enter (and some ways can be done over and over again!). Good Luck!

Unfortunately, this giveaway is open to US residents only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen

Picture books mark a child's first introduction into the wonderful world of reading. What better way to do that than with some simplistic, friendly art and a touch of humor? I loved the book I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen! This is a great read aloud book with a surprising ending that will put your whole audience in stitches.

I'm going to say this: even if you don't have kids, you owe it to yourself to take ten minutes to read this book in your local bookstore or at your library!

 

10 Books I Wish I Read When I Was Younger

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish which I found out about thanks to Amber over at Me, My Shelf & I. There's a new book-related top ten list every single week and it is a great way to get to know other book-loving bloggers! Everyone is welcome to join in the weekly linky party, even if you can't think of TEN for a certain Tuesday (just think of as many as you can!), just make sure you link back to The Broke and the Bookish if you do!

This week's topic is a FREEBIE, so I came up with:
TEN BOOKS I WISH I READ WHEN I WAS YOUNGER

I always loved reading and had no problem reading whatever school had assigned to me, but, somehow, in my literary travels I missed out on some incredible reads as a child and a young adult. Thinking back on it, I would guess it was because I got my books from either the school's book club, or from my own home library that my father stocked from books that  his school's library was giving up. As a result, I didn't truly explore the shelves of bookstores or the library until I was a teenager. By that time, I was pulled in by the bestsellers up in front and immediately fell into reading fiction for adult audiences. I think this is part of why I love children's and YA books so much now- for me, it is still so fresh and new! The list below is full of books that, after reading, I wished I had found earlier in my life...

1. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis 

If you look through the archives of this blog you will find the reading journal entries from when I first read these books. I was an adult. I was teaching already. Now, after having the experience, I dream of the day where I can read this series aloud to a child of my own - let his/her mind wander through the lands of Narnia, with the fantastic creatures while they talk to Aslan in their daydreams. I loved this series as an adult, but I often wonder how it would have affected me as a child.

2. A Wrinkle In Time by Madeline L'Engle 

I remember exactly how I read this book. I was in college, I was home sick because of some food poisoning ridiculousness and I wobbled down to our basement library desperate for something to read. I found A Wrinkle in Time. I remembered my little brother had to read it and I always wished I had. I took it up to bed and read it cover to cover. You must remember that I was once a math teacher, so, at the time I was majoring in Mathematics and loving every minute. I closed the book and just let my mind wander... one thought kept creeping up, Why didn't I read this sooner? The unification of science and fantasy was so beautiful I thought, for sure, if I had read this book as a child I would've gotten my first peak at the beautiful potential of my new found love, Mathematics. Would it have happened that way? I'll never know, but that is one magnificent children's book I missed out on.

3. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett  

Shortly after my aforementioned food poisoning, I was back in bed again due to a car accident (freshman year of college was rough on me!). I hobbled back down to our library, full of tons of books I had read before and spotted one I hadn't: The Secret Garden. There was no better book for me to be reading at that time while I was stuck in bed, in winter with my back in severe pain. I still daydream about that garden and remember that happy feeling it gave me. I feel like I would have enjoyed that secret world as a child and wish I had discovered sooner.


4. Dr. Seuss

Did you gasp? The fact is, I did not start reading Dr. Seuss books until I was at least a teenager. My mother was not a fan of the man's work. Having gotten to know my mother's likes and dislikes over the years, I'm going to say that she probably based this on the pictures alone (my mother was very disturbed by nearly everything Tim Burton). Anyway, as a child, I trusted my parent's judgement implicitly and had to shake free of a bias against Seuss' works before I understood how brilliant they are. Once realizing this, I recognized the sin in depriving me of his work for so long!

5. The Fudge Series by Judy Blume

I read Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing when I was in the fourth grade. It was easily my favorite book in all of elementary school. So, why didn't I continue reading the series of books that sprung from it? I. don't. know. However, I will confess to one little snippet of possibly relevant information: I didn't realize there was a series until last year!! OK. wait. That's sort of a lie. I knew about the "Fudge" books, but I never put together that they were related to Tales of the Fourth Grade Nothing! Incredible. I guess I needed to see sequential numbers on the book spines, or something...


6. The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien

I first read this book when I was 21. Now, I don't think I could have handled it in elementary school, like some of Rivera Runs Through It readers, but I definitely should have read this book sooner. In addition to The Lord of the Rings. I know why I didn't: The Hobbit cartoon that they showed around Thanksgiving time scared the heck out of me. Plus any time someone would talk to me about Lord of the Rings, I would think they meant to say The Lord of the Flies, which was one of my favorite books, so the conversation would always shift into me telling them why they needed to read Golding's novel, rather than them convincing me to read Tolkien! Whatever the reason, the fact is, I missed out!


7. Hiroshima by John Hershey

In 2002 I read this book because it was on my students' summer reading list. I should have read this book sooner. Everyone knows how devastating the atomic bomb is, right? I mean, we all agree it is the worst, so who needs to go any further than that? I did. Hershey's book sent the chills up my spine and through my core. I was crying page after page after page. I know I'll never fully understand the devastation, but this book shook me. It said on the cover of my book that everyone who can read should read Hiroshima. I couldn't agree more. I also think, the earlier, the better.


8. The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King

When I was a kid I was a chicken (note: this should not be interpreted as me stating I am Captain Courageous now!), I didn't want to read (or see) anything scary or related to horror. At the end of junior high and in high school, I noticed a lot of people talking about how great Stephen King books were. Now, you have to remember (if you are old enough to) when I was younger they used to run these Stephen King commercials selling a bunch of his books and advertising The Stand - the commercials alone had me hiding behind the couch cushions! By the time I hit high school, the buzz was just too much, I had to check out Stephen King. I took it slowly. I picked up a book of short stories called Four Past Midnight. I loved it immediately (the story The Langoliers still ranks as one of my favorites!). However, I wasn't sure I was ready for a big, long scare. That's when I was told about The Eyes of the Dragon, a fantasy book King wrote. I loved this book and it wasn't that scary. I should have read that book in junior high, at least! Then my near-obession with King that lasted through most of high school could have started a couple of years earlier!

9.  Comic Books/Graphic Novels

One of the great joys of my childhood was "after church." After church on Sundays we, as a family would go to either the art store (omg! drawing and coloring materials!!) or to the comic book shop. I would love walking up and down the aisles looking at all of the art, the titles and seeing brand new stuff every week. I was confused by the books that looked by magazines and always put off by the fact that they were up to number 84, 604, or something like that, so I'd stick to collections like Calvin and Hobbes or Garfield and scope out the shelves for drawing books. I was shy, so I never asked about the comic books - not even my parents. I suppose they thought I only liked the other stuff and had no interest in the comic books I passed by. This is why I didn't really start reading comic books until I was dating my husband. Now, I love them. I think the medium is fantastic and too often overlooked by book lovers. I know I don't have to worry about history repeating itself with any of our own children - we are a comic book family now. It's just who we are.

***THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM***

 

10. The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

I read the first book in August 2000; I was 23 years old. It was three years after the book had been published, but I wasn't too far off the bandwagon. I was hooked and ran out to get book two before third book's release. When a Barnes & Noble opened up the block from me before the release of the fourth book and I was able to attend the midnight release parties for the final four books in the series, I was filled with euphoria at the sight of the children all around me. 

And then, a little itty bitty piece of me was envious. 

Where were these wonderous book parties when I was a child? Where were these stories? As tiny witches and wizards ran by or were found dozing in between bookshelves I tried to imagine what their lives must be like - dressing up like characters in a book, talking endlessly with friends and the world (via the Internet) about the things that they read, and then seeing that world come to life on the movie screen. There was no equivalent experience in my background to compare it to. I was so happy for them all, knowing, more than they did, how unique their generation's childhood experience was.


For the Harry Potter series, I have a slight adjustment to my wish. I do not merely wish that this book series somehow gets transported in time to when I was younger; I wish that I was younger when we all read the books! I want to know what it feels like to be a tiny witch sleeping in a bookstore.


What's On Your List?

Do you have any books that, after reading, you thought, It would have been great if I could have read that _____ years ago! ? How about the "impossible dream" category? Were there any books published after you were "of age" to read it and wish you were part of its true audience? Let me know in the comments! Also, let me know what your favorite childhood/YA book is so I can make sure I read it!!

Book Love - Charlotte's Web Grabs Lishie for Life

When a true book lover is asked about their first book love, oftentimes, it takes a little bit of digging before they can unearth the book that you can identify as the first of them all. I love to watch and listen to people go through this type of literary archeology. When I asked Elisha, or Lishie, of the DeLish foodie blog and and Art for an Archangel blog, she literally typed out this initial dig in a sort of stream of consciousness way that I just loved and had to share with you. I think this is the perfect way to introduce you to Lishie and to allow her to reveal her first book love:

From as far back as I can remember I have simply loved books. All books. I was the type of little girl who would keep quiet & be silently in awe of the spines of books as well as the inside contents... Bring me into a library or book store & I would lose myself... Bring me into any variety store & I would find a book. That said, I fell in love many times. With my baby books, my Laura Ingalls Wilder Little House on the Prairie collection, with my brother's blue, hard cover Hardy Boys set, with my grandfather's battered red Scrabble Dictionary, with Beverly Cleary's "Mouse & the Motorcycle" a teacher read us as a class a chapter a day... over & over again...  But, being that I grew up in rural South Florida with dirt roads & very much left to my own device, one book touched me with a deep, true love... Charlotte's Web.

 

Ah... yes. Charlotte. Once I read Lishie's response, I was immediately struck by the fact that no one else had mentioned this book in my previous queries. I, personally, loved the story, but somehow saw the animated version before I ever sat down to  read the book, so my love is always associated with the film.

For Lishie it was different, at around six or seven years of age she received the book Charlotte's Web by E.B. White as a gift and although she "cannot recall from whom," she was immediately drawn in by both the animals and the friendships. She said, "The characters come alive in this book. It shows so many things... Compassion, sharing, the circle of life... Friendship."

Lishie was a self-described "nature kid" and tom boy who didn't completely shy away from the feminine. As an animal lover who would take care of any animal in need, she could relate to this story, while still finding the wonders of literary escapism in a story with talking animals.

Through Fern's example, Lishie learned a very powerful lesson, "...that even a little girl could make a difference." She looks forward to sharing this the book with her own son when he is old enough to appreciate it, but in the meantime, they "recently went to see it acted out on stage together at the Paper Mill Playhouse" which I think is just about the coolest thing ever!

Lishie's relationship with reading before and after reading Charlotte's Web, as you can probably imagine, has always been pretty fantastic, in her own words:

Reading was definitely something that saved me... from boredom and more... It took me places when I was terrified and showed me the world even at a young age I knew this. KNEW.

She didn't skip a beat after finding her first book love with E.B. White, she says she has, "plenty of room in [her] heart for many book loves. It's like having more than one child, I suppose." Some of her top book loves (besides Charlotte's Web, of course) include Les Miserables, Wuthering Heights, Jane Austen and she's also a reader of scifi and mystery!

Finally, I'd like to leave you with one last thought from Lishie that I speaks to what we all love about Charlotte's Web, whichever way we came to the story over the years. When I asked her which piece of Charlotte's Web that still resonates with her today, here is what Lishie had to say:

All of it... But most importantly, a runt is only worthless if you treat him as such.

Such an enormous life lesson echoed by the littlest of the litter.

About Lishie

Here's just a little bit more about Lishie, and where you can find her on the web (not Charlotte's!):

I'm a F/T working mom of a Special Needs 3 yr old in NJ (so, yes, I have 2 full time jobs!) who loves to cook, bake & eat with her family every night. I also love to craft & DIY. And reading is like breathing to me :)

DeLish - A food blog
http://delish-lishie.blogspot.com/

art for an archangel - a craft/DIY blog
http://lishiesangel.blogspot.com/

Did you read Charlotte's Web or see the movie?

What did you think?

(I am haven't been able to get Templeton's "Smorgasbord" song out of my head the whole time I have been writing up this post!)

What was your first book love?  

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

The following post is taken directly from my hand-printed Reader's Journal. I will be sharing these reflections each week on the Rivera Runs Through It blog. The date at the end of each post is the date of the original writing, which is typically the date I completed the book. The reflections are short, but represent my initial reactions to a book, a brief summary of the book or the questions it raised for me at the time. I hope you enjoy this segment in my blog and feel free to comment on what you read here.



The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

Book two of The Chronicles of Narnia surprisingly takes place many years after book one. An enchanted wardrobe opens the gates to Narnia once again to four unsuspecting children. It is an adventurous tale of good versus evil and delves into more of the magic of Narnia, Aslan and the Witch. I was struck by the unique ending to this book and am now officially hooked on the Chronicles! My only complaint is the constant change of leads.

Dated:11/25/03

How do you feel about book series where the protagonists change from book to book?

For readers of this book, did you read the entire Narnia series? Why/why not?

The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis

The following post is taken directly from my hand-printed Reader's Journal. I will be sharing these reflections each week on the Rivera Runs Through It blog. The date at the end of each post is the date of the original writing, which is typically the date I completed the book. The reflections are short, but represent my initial reactions to a book, a brief summary of the book or the questions it raised for me at the time. I hope you enjoy this segment in my blog and feel free to comment on what you read here.

The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis


The first of seven books in The Chronicles of Narnia begins an interesting tale. A story of two children thrust into a magical world against their wishes. Aslan, the Lion from Narnia, is a fascinating character. I was enthralled by the birth of the land and touched by Aslan's warning to our world as he left Digory and Polly at the end of their time together. I am curious enough to explore the rest of the Chronicles.

Dated: 11/22/03

I will spoil the ending by telling you that I feel in love with this series.
For those who have read The Chronicles of Narnia, when were you introduced to it? 
For fans of the Narnia films, have you read the books?

First Book Love Vlog from SableCaught

Back when I first learned about Pottermore I stumbled upon a fantastic book vlogger, SableCaught (Stevie Finnigan) whose videos I have subscribed to ever since. I love to watch her reviews of her latest reads as well as her great advice for book lovers, in general. She's fun, honest and has a great passion for the books in her life.

It finally occurred to me a couple of weeks ago, while watching Stevie's latest video that she would be a very interesting person to ask about first book loves. I sent along my request and am happy to report that not only did we get an answer for the Rivera Runs Through It Book Love Series, but I also have the distinct pleasure of introducing you to SableCaught in the way she is most well-known on the Internet - in video format!

Without any further adieu, I present to you SableCaught, straight from her YouTube channel:

1,000 thank yous to SableCaught for participating in this series and for, once again, describing books with such enthusiasm that I want to dive right into each and every one of them right now. I'm convinced if I ever had the privilege of visiting Stevie's book shop, she would sell me everything she had on her shelves just by telling me of her experience with each book!

SableCaught posts new videos every Monday and Thursday. As a subscriber to her channel, I highly recommend it to fellow book lovers.

Do you share any of Stevie's book love choices?

What about her experience of bringing books home from her grandparents' home, this sounds wonderful, did you have a similar relationship with anyone in your family?

*Remember, everyone is invited to be a part of 

the Rivera Runs Through It Book Love Series!

If you have a story to share, or are willing to be 

interviewed, contact me via e-mail. 

Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

The following post is taken directly from my hand-printed Reader's Journal. I will be sharing these reflections each week on the Rivera Runs Through It blog. The date at the end of each post is the date of the original writing, which is typically the date I completed the book. The reflections are short, but represent my initial reactions to a book, a brief summary of the book or the questions it raised for me at the time. I hope you enjoy this segment in my blog and feel free to comment on what you read here.



Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

Lord Voldemort is back and, in this book, is stronger than ever. His supporters, the Death Eaters, have regrouped and, therefore, Dumbeldore's opposition group the Order of the Phoenix, must gather itself once again. New characters and magics are introduced and Ron, Hermione and Harry finally take their O.W.L.s. Harry begins dating and Ron becomes an athlete. The future of Hogwarts also is in danger as the Ministry of Magic takes a stronger hold.

Dated: 06/27/03

For many, I have heard that this is their favorite book in the series, what about you?

How do you feel this book stacked up against the film?

The Bad Beginning - A Series of Unfortunate Events: Book the First by Lemony Snicket

The following post is taken directly from my hand-printed Reader's Journal. I will be sharing these reflections each week on the Rivera Runs Through It blog. The date at the end of each post is the date of the original writing, which is typically the date I completed the book. The reflections are short, but represent my initial reactions to a book, a brief summary of the book or the questions it raised for me at the time. I hope you enjoy this segment in my blog and feel free to comment on what you read here.

The Bad Beginning - A Series of Unfortunate Events: Book the First by Lemony Snicket

I noticed this series of books over a year ago and have been meaning to read it since. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. The author is not joking when he writes, "there is no happy ending, no happy beginning and very few happy things in the middle." I'm not sure if that's what I don't like, or if it is the story itself. I may attempt to read the second book, but honestly, I do not feel all that invested in the lives of the Boudelaire siblings and their disasters.

Dated: 05/25/03

I am so happy to have this journal entry. 

I was completely and utterly wrong about this book.

Years later my husband (then boyfriend) and I decided to give this book another shot on a road trip. We picked up the audiobook. He had never read it before and I was curious if he could tell me what it was missing. It was narrated by Tim Curry. And what I was missing was my ability to read this book correctly!! When I heard the book I thought it was hilarious and absolutely loved it.

I also gained a huge amount of respect for the CHILDREN who were able to read the book and understand it.

Has there ever been a book that you believe would be (or experienced as) enhanced by audiobook experience, rather than as a read?

A Role Model Is Found In One Mom's Book Love

When Dawn Mannix, wife and mother of two, unearthed her copy of Jane Eyre in preparation for her Book Love interview, the tale that was written within had been read so many times since she was first introduced to it approximately twenty years earlier, it was familiar, welcoming and inspiring. However, this particular copy of the book managed to hold within not only Charlotte Brontë's words, but others, etched by a mysterious person holding a key to some forgotten piece of Dawn's dating life.

Can Book Love Lead To Romantic Love?

As Dawn has been my best friend for just about two decades, I received a phone call as soon as her book was found so that the serendipitous hilarity could be shared. In the front cover of Dawn's book was an inscription from a mysterious gentleman caller hoping that they both have a great time on their first date. He went even further to wish Dawn nothing but joy, love, and success in life. A beautiful sentiment written in Dawn's favorite book of all time. It seems the perfect gift. I thought, "Whoa, what a great first impression." Problem was - neither one of us could remember who this guy was. Dawn could barely make out his signature! After nearly 48 hours of squinting, scrutinizing, trying to remember a date in 1999, Dawn ultimately figured it out when she put her husband to the task of deciphering the handwriting.

It was a guy named Brendan she went on one date with. Obviously, no sparks. According to Dawn he was a cute guy, but had a little too much baggage. The lesson learned from this: Dawn really loves Jane Eyre and, evidently, while in her twenties, she would talk about it so much that some guy thought it was the key to impressing her on a first date.

Other First Impressions

While Brendan's first impression was fleeting, the enormous impact Jane had on Dawn hit first in a sophomore English class when she was 15 years old. Since Dawn and I went to high school together, we discussed what it was like to read the book at 15. I asked Dawn if she could remember how she identified with Jane Eyre when she first read the book. "I identified with how she sees herself versus how the world sees her. For example, she sees herself as plain, while she is described as a witch."

Dawn wishes that every girl of high school age could be given a copy of Jane Eyre to read. She said, "Young girls could take a tremendous amount from this book." When I asked her what she believes some of the big lessons were that Jane could impart, without hesitation, Dawn said, "[Jane] wouldn't let anybody demean her," throughout her entire story she was "never a damsel in distress. She didn't need a man." Dawn has only one reservation about the widespread distribution of the book - the vocabulary. When we discussed the possibility of an abridged or children's version of the book, I asked Dawn if she would start reading Jane Eyre to her daughter (in the first grade) now if she could. Her response, "Hailey would love Jane!" (I did find a "Classics Retold" version of the book released by Usborne Children's Books online, but have yet to actually read it or share this news with Dawn.)

Life Lessons

As Dawn read and re-read Jane Eyre over the years, even more life lessons came soaring through its pages to her. As she reminisced about all of the dramas in Jane's life, and how dignified Jane was through it all, she kept coming back to two themes that shone above all others. Dawn says it was in reading Jane Eyre that she "first learned that love is not perfect." For those who have read the book, this might be the understatement of the century - poor Jane and Rochester! Rochester who loved Bertha enough to care for her even after her madness, despite her affinity for fire, despite her desire to run around on all fours like an animal; Jane who love Rochester despite his mad wife, with or without his riches, with or without his vision. Their love was not perfect by a long shot. They are an extreme case, but the lesson does hold true.

The second poignant point Dawn picked up from Jane was her amazing ability to come back from so much hardship, and to come back from it stronger. When I asked Dawn if she ever employed a "WWJD - What would Jane Do?" perspective on a situation in her life since it had such a great impact on her, she laughed, but then more seriously answered, "I don't think there's any circumstance you can't come back from." She said she finds that most people don't believe this, but after reading this novel she has lived by this idea - no matter how bad it gets, even when your life seems to bottom out, there's always a way back.

Some of Dawn's Other Book Loves

When I asked Dawn how Jane Eyre affected her reading choices throughout her life she said that her favorite books have always been written by women. In her opinion, "Women write women accurately." Three of her top reads (after Jane, of course) are

• Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
• Three Junes by Julia Glass

Have you had a book love lead you to romantic love?

Do you prefer exposing children to abridged or re-tellings of classic tales at a younger age, or waiting until they can "handle" the original version?

For lovers of Jane Eyre, what are the great lessons that Jane taught you?

Want to share your first book love? Check this out.

Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne

The following post is taken directly from my hand-printed Reader's Journal. I will be sharing these reflections each week on the Rivera Runs Through It blog. The date at the end of each post is the date of the original writing, which is typically the date I completed the book. The reflections are short, but represent my initial reactions to a book, a brief summary of the book or the questions it raised for me at the time. I hope you enjoy this segment in my blog and feel free to comment on what you read here.

Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne
I had no idea that Winnie-the-Pooh was such an idiot! I never was a big fan of th cartoons, but after reading this book I truly fail to see any allure this character has. Yes, he is cute in a dopey way, but I don't think a child can follow the confusing merry-go-round dialogue that takes place between the often befuddled characters. Maybe I'm being too harsh, maybe I'll give it another try some day... who knows?

Dated: 08/19/02

As I was reading this entry before typing it up here all I keep thinking was, "Whoa! Why are you being so harsh, Nicole? You NEED to give this book another try!" I was so happy to find that final line thrown in there.


Have you ever reread a book after not liking it? If so, what was the outcome? If not, what stayed your hand?

A Girl's First [Book] Love

Where It Began 
 
The book had a sort of lime-green border with a picture of  a kid in a multicolored striped shirt standing next to a tipping fishbowl on a small table. The story had something in it about a turtle and a kid in the fourth grade. That is pretty much all I could remember of the details of Judy Blume's book Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing.

The experience of reading the book, on the other hand, stuck with me all these twenty-five years later. I remember asking to go to bed early to read. I remember "sneak reading" using the light in the bottom of my bedroom lamp that served as my night light. I remember falling asleep with this book on my head and my parents telling me about it the next day! I remember, for the first time ever, laughing out loud from a book.

Why This Book Is So Important

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothinghas always played a significant role in my life as a reader because I do believe it was with this book that I first fell into what I like to call "book love." Reading that book, on my own, has counted as my earliest memory of wanting to rush everything just to get back to my book! I have sung its praises for this reason for as long as I can remember, but would always come up short when people would ask seemingly simple questions like

• What was the book about?
• Why did you like it so much?
• What was so funny about it?

I did not know how to answer any of these questions! And, for the sake of full disclosure here, I will admit that this kind of thing happens to me all of the time (this is why I love keeping a Reading Journal or being a part of book clubs, both help me jog my memory)!

Mission: Reread
 
For years my absent-mindedness did not bother me in the least. However, in the last year or so (probably because I have a lot more time to just think about things) I got to wondering what really hooked me. I wondered how Judy Blume managed to captivate me without magic, fantasy or having characters stuck on some deserted island. About a month ago, I decided to find out; I decided to reread the book.

Sounds simple. I thought it would be, but, strangely, there were a couple of obstacles in my way!

• First Stop: My iPad. Well, that didn't work. This book was not distributed in digital form and I haven't been able to read a printed book for about two years. However, I thought about this conundrum for a little while, and realized something: I don't work anymore. I don't have kids. If a book sends me into a headache-spiral of hell, then we'll have to order dinner in! In other words, there was really no reason for me not to at least try to read the printed book.
• Second Stop: My Barnes and Noble. Right up the block, I charged right into the children's section. There were no copies of the book.
• Third Stop: Borders in the Mall.  Guess what? No book. The salesperson told me that the children's section was the first to get wiped clean (that made me kind of happy...).

The book, in my hand finally!

Looking back now, I have no idea why I didn't go to the library. I guess I got so used to not being able to get anything there that it really got riped from my radar completely.

• Fourth, and Final Stop: Barnes and Noble in Brooklyn.  I had to go down to the Board of Education to do some paperwork that made me pretty miserable, checking out the B&N across the street was just about the only ray of sunshine in my day, and boy did it pay off! They had the book!! Finally!!

Book Love All Over Again
 
I made for really bad company on the trip home that day. I read on the train and on the ferry, and, you know what? A couple of times I even laughed out loud just like I did the first time I read the book!

I remembered so little of the story, but I could instantly see why this book was so right for me when I was a child:

• It was set in New York.
• The protagonist, Peter, had a little brother, Fudge, that was really, in so many ways the center of his whole world.
• Peter tries to be polite and "grown-up" and wishes Fudge could just do the same.
• Fudge likes to be involved in whatever Peter is doing.
•  Peter has to do things like get a pair of shoes he doesn't want to ever wear just so his little brother will want them too!
• When Peter's dad is left alone to take care of the kids, he kind of has no idea what he is doing .

It goes on, but, in short, I must have loved this book because Fudge was the extreme version of my own little brother and Peter's whole family could have been some alternate version of my own (some day I'll have to write a blog post about my dad's Macaroni and cheese debacle!. In fact, in my memory of this book the protagonist was a GIRL - talk about relating to a character!

I had an absolute BLAST rereading this book. I'm so happy I finally did it and I believe this reread will be marked in my memory with the same level of importance in this reader's life as the first read.

Why Rereading Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing Was One of the Best Things I Have Done THIS YEAR:

1. The book held up. I was so worried the book just wouldn't be as good. I feared that my memory has placed it on some beautiful, impossible pedestal of worthiness that I would not be able to appreciate as an adult. Those fears were unfounded, Judy Blume is that good.
2. The book captured a time. As I rad through the pages of this book, I felt as though I was transported in time, back to the 1980s, remembering the carefree joy of my childhood, the love of my family and the interesting kinds of worries I carried as a big sister. It was strange that this book took me there, but it was also so magical.
3. I READ A PRINTED BOOK. I'm not entirely sure I made that large enough for you, but, for the first time in two years I read words, off a page and didn't need days of rest in between. Now, grant it, the book took me much longer to read than a 110 page children's book should, but WHO CARES?!

She Lived Happily Ever After...

I held a book.
I turned pages.
I smelled the paper.
I could touch the words.

I READ A BOOK.

It was beautiful, and, for that, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing shall forever be remembered as my first and truly faithful book love.

This book introduced me to a world of wonder when I was younger that I will forever be grateful for. I was always the girl with a book - on my nightstand, in my backpack, in my pocketbook, by the pool and under my desk. I don't know how long it would have taken me to discover that world had I not found Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, or if I ever would have. Judy Blume simply showed me how enjoyable reading could be.

Some 25 years later, due to what seemed like a bunch of obstacles for no reason, this book brought me back from a hibernation I wasn't sure I would wake from. Since reading Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, I have read four other printed books and I am on my fifth. I am getting faster and tomorrow I am going to the library! I couldn't be happier. Reading the story brought back the joy of my childhood, but being able to read the book has revived the joy in my adulthood.


I take it word by word, page by page and book by book. Some days are easier to read than others, but hope is restored!

What was your first "book love"?

What was your last book love (I'm always looking for something great to read!)?

The term book love comes from Steve Leveen's book,

The Little Guide to Your Well-Read Life 

I highly recommend the book!