• Emily The Strange: The Lost Days

    Overall Rating: ★ Rating:78 Fullstar:3 Star Piece:0.9 Fraction:3.9★ Rating:78 Fullstar:3 Star Piece:0.9 Fraction:3.9★ Rating:78 Fullstar:3 Star Piece:0.9 Fraction:3.9½ Rating:78 Star Piece:0.9 Fraction:3.9☆ Rating:78 Fraction:3.978%
    Emily The Strange: The Lost Days
    Rob Reger, Jessica Gruner & Buzz Parker (Illustrator)
    HarperCollins, 2009
    Fantasy
    ISBN: 0061452297
    264 pages

    Synopsis

    Sitting on a park bench in a strange town called Blackrock, Emily has no recollection of who she is and why she’s there. This little town is so odd. There is only one tree, and everything has been painted beige. Realizing that she must have amnesia for some inexplicable reason, Emily begins a journey to regain her identity. However, she quickly realizes that there’s more to this situation than first meets the eye, even though she can’t seem to quite put her finger on exactly why. Now, she must try to regain her memory and discern why this town is so odd because it must have something to do with why she’s there in the first place. She relays the whole story through a personal diary, complete with Polaroid’s, illustrations, lists, and descriptions of all the events that take place.

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    Posted in 2009, Art, Best Of, Classroom, English/Reading, Graphic Novels, Reviews, Series | No Comments »

    The Invention of Hugo Cabaret

    Overall Rating: ★ Rating:88 Fullstar:4 Star Piece:0.4 Fraction:4.4★ Rating:88 Fullstar:4 Star Piece:0.4 Fraction:4.4★ Rating:88 Fullstar:4 Star Piece:0.4 Fraction:4.4★ Rating:88 Fullstar:4 Star Piece:0.4 Fraction:4.4½ Rating:88 Star Piece:0.4 Fraction:4.488%
    The Invention of Hugo Cabaret
    Brian Selznick
    Scholastic Press, 2007
    Historical Fiction
    ISBN:0439813786
    544 pages
    National Book Award Winner

    Synopsis

    Both of his parents have died, so Hugo Cabaret lives with his uncle inside of the clock room at the train station in London. He’s inherited his father’s ability to tinker with toys and anything that has working gears, parts, and pieces. Before the fire, his father happened upon a mechanical man that was calibrated to draw or write something as part of a magic act.

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    Posted in 2007, Art, Award Winners, Best Of, Classroom, English/Reading, Graphic Novels, Historical Fiction, History/Period, Ignite Imagination, Recommended, Reviews, Science/Engineering | 1 Comment »

    Diary of a Wimpy Kid

    Overall Rating: ★ Rating:70 Fullstar:3 Star Piece:0.5 Fraction:3.5★ Rating:70 Fullstar:3 Star Piece:0.5 Fraction:3.5★ Rating:70 Fullstar:3 Star Piece:0.5 Fraction:3.5½ Rating:70 Star Piece:0.5 Fraction:3.5☆ Rating:70 Fraction:3.570%
    Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Book 1)
    Jeff Kinney
    Abrams Books For Young Readers, 2007
    Fiction
    ISBN: 0810993139
    224 pages

    Synopsis

    Greg Heffley is just another average middle-schooler. All he wants is to be popular and have girls like him. However, a younger and older brother, well-meaning parents, and nerdy friends often get in the way of those quests. Told from the first person in ‘diary’ format, this hybrid between a traditional fiction book and a graphic novel takes a look into the life of a middle-school boy and brings the humor to the surface. I recommend this book to readers 8-13, and boys will find it most engaging.

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    Posted in 2007, Art, Best Of, Classroom, Graphic Novels, Reviews, Series | No Comments »