Sleep over

The Night the Whole Class Slept over by Stella Pevsner have you read that book before? I doubt it not unless you are someone who is in their thirties because this book was written in 1990 and it is a children’s as well. But if you someone like me who has bunch of books from 70s 80s 90s to 2000s. But any way I brought up this book is because I recently found my old tattered copy of it in the back of my desk. I also mention this book was because this was my favorite book during my elementary school days and was first of many that made me want to read books for fun.

It was about Dan and his parents that were artist and moved around a lot until finally moving with his grandparents who owned a bed and breakfast inn. What I liked about this book was that Dan was my first normal person protagonist. What I mean is that the other protagonist that I read were Judy Moody and Junie B. Jones. If you heard of those two you would know they are not normal girls. Because of Dan's normalcy I got more interested in more advance levels of book reading and because of that I will keep this story with me to remember.

Alex Flynn

I have recently added a new author to my top favorite list it is Alex Flynn. She has written a varity of novels, one of the most famous book you would regonise is Beaslty. This is the one book that was turned into a movie with Vanessa Hudgen in it and it was also that one movie with a snow white twist and a really hot guy turned really disfigured and scared by a witch in a modern setting. But in the book he actually turned into a beast like the fairy tale. It his was also the first book I read by this author. But I have also have read Bewitching which was kinda about the witch from the previous book, as well as A kiss in time and Fade to Black. But i have also found out that the author has written two other fairy tale ordinated novels, Cloaked and Towering. I have recently checked Towering

When I read the Backflip of towering it sorta me of the Tangled storyline then the Rapunzal story. I actually really liked the movie Tangled so I woud'nt mind f this book is like the movie instead the original fairy tale. Oh yeah did I forget to mention the fact I have yet to actually have read the book yet. But since I have already read other books by this author so it wont be that hard to imagine that I might like this book. But I am curios if this book is set in modern times or way back then because I liked her other books because it was set was included in modern times.

This author is one of my faverites is really is because I like how easy for me to read her stories. I also the fact that she uses fairy tale element in a modern setting because I really enjoy fairy tales. I especially like fairy tales that have been revised like on the shows Once Upon a Time and Grimm. But I dont actually remember many books with fairy tales incorperated in them except maybe this one. Maybe that is why I really like her books.

Banned Books

In many different countries, states or even schools they banned certain books. I became very interested in these books that many of these places I even went online to see what books were often banned. That is when I found the ALA (American Library Association). Except on the ALA site it wasn't called banned books instead they called it frequently challenged books, the reason why it was called that because a ban and a challenge are two different things. A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materiel based on a person or group's objection. But a ban is when they completely remove a material from the shelf. But challenge often don't get passed through especially in America because it defies the bill of rights. Another point of this blog is that ALA listed this challenged and banned books down but they the site don't banned or challenge any books just displays what is often targeted.


The reason why most books are tried to get banned is because most time is to protect children from either offensive language, explicit sexual content or it is unsuitable for the age group. It is also illegal for Liberians to banned books from their collection to the general public. Thought it is completely legal for parents to not let their children read certain kinds of reading material. Another reason why people try to get certain kinds of books because the material in them conflicts with their belief.


When I looked up on the ALA Top Ten challenged Books Lists I was really surprised that what kinds of books were on their list. Because for number 1 on their list was Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey for reason as offensive language, unsuited for age groups and violence. I don't understand why they would try ban that series because what language the use in Captain Underpants that is so offensive because what I remember from that series was being really childish and crude humor. But also on the list I saw the Hunger Games trilogy listed because of religious viewpoints. What does the Hunger games have to do anything about religion because I don't remember anything about religion in the book maybe political or ethical viewpoints but religion, really? I mean I can understand why they would put down Fifty Shades of Gray unsuitable for kids because ....well for very obvious reasons but you know what fifty Shades of Grey is advertise as an adult book not a children's book so the attempt ban seems a bit silly.


I also looked on the site's list for the most challenged classic books. When I saw the list I was bit surprised that I knew almost everyone those books and I read many of them as well. Here were books like the Great Gatsby, To kill a Mockingbird, The Color purple and Of Mice and Men, now how many those did you read for a class in high school that was required.


I also thought it would be prudent to check other challenged and banned books elsewhere. I found that The adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been on many top ten banned list. I also found that Anne Frank: A Diary of a Young girl is also have been triad to get banned because it was too depressing yes that is the real reason hah. But you know what I also was also banned? The Harry Potter series because the promotion of witchcraft and character death.


When I go through so many list of banned books I realize something. Is there any book out there that hasn't been banned because I see so many reason that people give to try to get a variety of books banned? Which I then apply to many books I think of and I think what none of the books I know since the 1st wouldn't not be on a banned book list. It seems so silly to think that there are people out there who try get books banned because they don't agree with them. But sadly there are people like that and I'm just glad is their attempts are pitiable because there are a lot I love to read that are on a banned list.

My and her Dear America

I noticed recently that my younger sister has started to read the Dear America series. Right now she is reading Early Sunday Morning, A coal Miner’s Wife. I remember reading that series when I was little younger. I still have a few copies of Dear America inside my desk drawer, about nine copies. I really liked reading Dear America Series. What I remember most about the Dear America series is that I thought they were non-fiction until I discovered that they were historical fiction and were written by varieties of authors. But they were still really good and were very realistic to me.

The very first Dear America book I was ever given was the Winter of Red Snow. It was portrayed in the revolutionary war is what I remembered. But that is the extant of my memory because I was really young when I gotten it perhaps I was about nine or ten years old. But I have a few others I remember because they were one of my favorite books reading several years back.

One of the Dear America books that I own is a special edition of One Eye Laughing the other Weeping It is the Diary of Julie Weiss who was a rich upper class Jewish girl from Vienna, Austria who was forced to move to New York In 1938 because of the Nazi takeover in her home. What I really liked about this book was that it was based in war world two which is a time in history that I was interested in. Because of this interest I was really motivated to read this book and it became one of my favorites. Another one that I have is A Picture of Freedom, the diary of Clotee, a slave girl. This one is easily my favorite one out of the entire series because I was intrigued by the idea of a black slave girl who was keeping a diary. I’m sure I have read that book more times than reading the Harry Potter Series.

I also own Color me Dark: the great migration North which is another of my favorites, Christmas after all, Survival in the Storm, and So Far from Home. I also have read Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairie, and Mirror, Mirror on the Wall. There might be more but I don’t really remember that well. But anyway I am happy that my younger sister is reading the series I just worry that she might ruin my copies because most are still in a brand new condition and there hard covers. But anyway I just hope enjoys my copies because I really enjoyed them.

 

Baby sitters club

Do you remember the baby sitters club series By Ann M. Martin?  Because I just recently cleaned out my room and found several copies of The Baby Sitter’s Club I even owned some of the specials collection. I remember reading those books and I loved them so much. But I remember my first Baby Sitters Club book it was number 13 Good byes Stacy, good bye. I also remember my mom bought that from a garage sale and giving it to me and I absolutely thought it was a tacky book and I hated it. Until I read it.

                I loved that series it was one of the many books that got me into loving reading. What I also loved the books were the characters. Kristy was the president and I really liked how she was so boyish and headstrong. Claudia was the vice president because the BSC met at her house but I really liked her fashion choice and that she was a creative artist.  Stacy was the treasurer and a New Yorker what I liked most about her was that she was so tough with her diabetes. Then there is Dawn I liked that she had such a nice person and really mature. Then there is Mary Anne who was my favorite sitter out of the entire group. It was because I and Mary Anne had a lot in common in that we were both shy and loved to read. But my most favorite BSC book was Logan’s Story which was a Special about Logan Bruno who was Mary Anne’s boyfriend and I read his book more than three times.

                I think the reason why I really liked about the Baby Sitters Club was that it was about friendship, responsibility and also differences among everyone. Another think I like about the series was that there diversities among the friends like interest, personalities and ethnicities. But I think that is why the BSC series was so popular was because every girl could find one of the sitters to compare to either it is Kristy, Claudia, Stacy, Dawn, Mary Anne or even Mallory, Jessie and Shannon. Those last three I didn’t read much from maybe one or two books each.

Even though it has been a while since I had read the Baby Sitter’s Club I think there still really good. Perhaps I will reread some of the ones I have or read more from the series. But I defiantly want to show my younger sister this series I just hope she will enjoy like I did when I was near her age.

Enchanted Again

This is not about the Disney movie Enchanted instead it is about Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine. As I have been recently cleaning my room I have found Ella Enchanted which has been lost since my freshmen year in high school. This book was my most favorite in late elementary school to my early middle school years. I still remember most of the story plot from heart since I have reread this book so many times.

During middle school in the sixth grade, when this book was my most favorite I became obsessed with any book that featured a Cinderella-like princess. I also read any books I found that were written by Gail Carson Levine, and I also read Once Upon a Marigold and Twice Upon a Marigold and I even found a book that was called Just Ella which reminded me of this book. It’s so embarrassing that I was so into that whole entire princess genre that time because I usually don’t go for books that scream femininity. I mean now I’m into books like the Monstrumcologist, Star trek books or The Last Apprentice.

But I guess Ella Enchanted isn’t screaming girly because the character isn’t girly instead she is stubborn and smart girl who was enchanted to obey with any order she is given. Even though she isn’t that obedient in nature instead she is a girl who is rebels and stands up what she believes in.

I think the reason why this book became listed on my top ten favorite lists is because I liked the fact the heroine was subjected to so much indignity and misfortune. It wasn’t I enjoyed her pain it was because in the end I was so happy when she finally broke from her curse and was able to defy anyone and not be forced to be obey. I also liked the fact that her most hurtful step sister was miserable in the end. Maybe the reason why I liked books of this sort is because I’m still a sucker for fairy tales and still is.

The Fairy Tale inventor

Inventing fairy tales is very difficult but Hans Christian Andersen did it anyway as well as revised some from some Old Danish folk legends. But the important thing is that do you know who Hans Christian Anderson is? Because you really should know who he is. If you don’t know he is then does the story of the Ugly Duckling, The Little Mermaid or even The Princess and the Pea do those stories ring a bell because this guy Hans C Anderson is the one who wrote all those stories.

It is ok if you don’t know his name many famous people whose works are famous but their name isn’t for an example do you know what is Dr. Seuss’s  real name is because I don’t have an idea and I wrote and entire blog of him. But that is beside the point the real reason why you should know who is Hans Christian Anderson is because he wrote such wondrous fairy tales that we all know and love. At the moment I have found a copy of his fairy tales that I am reading right now. I am both reading classics that I know from heart such as Thumbelina, the Little Mermaid and The Emperor’s new Clothes as well as reading some tales that I have never heard of like Great Claus and Little Claus and The red shoes that I have also grown to love.

We should never such great stories because we grow up with them and learned some things as well for instances the Ugly Duckling. Which is such a sweet story that many people identify with. We all should remise all these great fairy tale because they affect our inner child and so we must as well remember the men who had bountiful effect on our imagination through his own fairy tales.

Fahrenheit 451

I just finished this book perhaps 2-3 hours ago the funny thing is that I checked out this book maybe like more than 2 months ago and when I curiously just picked it up to finish it. It only took me that less than half hour to finish it. I have no idea why I didn’t finish it a while ago especially since I was in the middle of the actual action scene when Montag was on the run. But I just stopped in the middle of it abruptly. Nonetheless I am very pleased to finish it since it was one of the many books I put on my personal reading list on last year. The reason why I choose to read this book because of the book burning and I who is a abibliophobic ( someone with the fear of running out of reading materials) was very interested in such a world were books are illegal, can you imagine such a horror. I was also interested in the world the author, Ray Bradbury described because he wrote this book back in the 50’s but he described things which is so much like how it is today without that excessive violence.

I couldn’t believe that this book was only written in the year 1953 because when you read the book it has so many familiar aspects that reflect our attitude today. But thankfully we don’t widespread book burning but we do have book bans on such great books. The only reason why we don’t have book burnings like the ones in the book is because such an act of travesty violates our own Constitution. But in other places such freedom is not permitted everywhere. But that isn’t the topic of this blog because I am not here talk about our freedom of certain accords.

What I am blogging about is that the book Fahrenheit 451is remains today as a classical dystopian book because it was a story that touched upon issues that we are beginning to struggle with.  But in the book it’s just a bit more dramatic which made it more exciting to read. I wish right that there was another book because I would love to know what happened to Montag and if his contributions made any difference to his blinded sighted society. I do hope our technology doesn’t turns us into mindless drones like the ones in the book but instead connect our ideas and self with each other.

 

 

Monstrumologist

I just recently finished all the four books in the series by Rick Yancey. I hope you know who he is because he is defiantly an exceptional author. The first time I have ever heard of him is when I read the Alfred Kropp trilogy back in middle school and I really liked those books but I was so disappointed when I found out there was only three books in the series. Because I really liked Alfred, he wasn’t your usual protagonist he was bit odd in his own special way. Just like Will Henry the protagonist of the Monstrumologist series who was alike Alfred in which they both shared a series of misfortune in their lives.

When I began to read the first book Monsrumologist I didn’t expect the book to be so…ghoulish. I was eating lunch when I first started reading it. I actually had to put the book down several times because the description inside was making me nauseated. But you would too if you read the part when they had to detach the Anthropophagi from that girl’s corpse because apparently it was eating her face off with a mouth on his chest. But even though the book was a credibly gruesome that even when I dared my younger brother to read that passage and he was unable to make it halfway the page because he was to freaked out to continue on reading. But I couldn’t stop because it was to addictive not to read on

This series is a bit strange itself because it was written in a way that the main character Will Henry was an old man writing a journal when he was younger and was an assistant to a monstrumologist which was someone who studies aberrant biological organism or in other words monsters. But it was also written as if the author was actually editing Will Henry’s journal to be a book series. I actually believed that was true until the third book when I looked up online how many books were left in the series and found out that it was part of the story line. I didn’t really believe the monster part but I really believed the part when Mr. Yancey was actually going through Will Henry’s journal. I was a bit disappointed and relieved at the same time because I was disappointed because it would have been incredible if there was an actual Will Henry alive even if it isn’t the one who faced the actual monsters. But I was relieved because I felt so bad for Will Henry who died having so much tragedy in his life and to die so terribly alone

But the point of these entire blog is to acclaim this series because I entirely enjoyed it. But I am also recommending it to anyone who would be interested in this kind of genre which is horror. I just hope I didn’t give a way too much of the storyline and make it uninteresting to anyone because it is anything but that. This story will make you sleep at night and never be able to put it down.