Genre Recommendation Video Part 2

     Finally, here is part 2!

Genre Recommendation Video part 1

    So many options to choose from!

    Hopefully, this will help give you an idea of where to start.

TV Show Review: Miraculous Ladybug (video)

     Updates have been a little slow recently, and unfortunately that is probably going to continue. In the meantime, here is the video review for Miraculous Ladybug! We also have a written version here on the blog. Enjoy!

Book Review: Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Book: “Just Ella” by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Genre: Fairy tale retelling with a little romance, action, and plenty of sass thrown in there for good measure
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Times I have read this: At least 6

General Setup: A retelling, of sorts, of Cinderella - except this story begins after the ‘happily ever after’ starts. And it isn’t quite as happy as they said.

Characters: I really enjoyed Ella as a character. She had a lot of spunk that brought the story to life and made it unique. Haddix does a great job with the other characters as well. The only character that seemed flat was the prince, but I think that was the point.

Plot: Even though “Just Ella” is based off of a pre-existing storyline, it has enough original elements that it becomes its own story. For example, there is a war going on. These new elements add to the story and shape it so that is can stand alone from the original material. Another thing I enjoyed were the use of flashbacks. Often, flashbacks can be annoying and interrupt the natural flow of the story. However, with “Just Ella,” Haddix places the flashbacks well so that they add important information and do not interrupt the flow of the narrative.

Ending: With the addition of unique plot elements, this story heads in an entirely different direction. The book certainly ends differently than the fairytale. However, I still liked the ending. It gave a good sense of resolution and really showed how much Ella had grown as a character.

Other media: Margaret Peterson Haddix is the author of many other books, including a two companion volumes to “Just Ella.” These are “Palace of Mirrors,” and “Palace of Lies.” Together the three books make up the Palace Chronicles series.

Ideal audience: I would recommend this book for readers middle school age and up. Some adult themes are touched on lightly.

New Picture: Silver Spoon!

     This was one that I have been on the look out for for a long time! I hope you like it!

     If you want to read the review for the anime, go here.

Guest Book Review: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Thanks to "L" for writing this review!

Title: The Book Thief
Author: Markus Zusak
Genre: Historical Fiction
Length: 552 pages (the pages are not very long)

General setup: Death has a story to tell. It’s about Liesel Meminger, a German book thief living in Nazi Germany during one of the busiest times for Death: World War II. In Death’s words: “It’s just a small story really, about, among other things:

• A girl 
• Some words 
• An accordionist 
• Some fanatical Germans 
• A Jewish fist fighter 
• And quite a lot of thievery” (Zusak 5) 

Characters: Death is the narrator of The Book Thief, and I feel that I got to know Death because of little passages he would insert about himself. In The Book Thief, Death is not the traditional idea of the Grim Reaper but is more human like.
     Liesel, the main character is a girl given up for adoption along with her brother who dies on the way to their adoptive parents’ house. Shortly thereafter, Liesel steals a book called “ The Gravedigger’s Handbook”. I would say that Liesel is a dynamic character because she becomes stronger in the face of difficulties and begins learning the power of words when she learns to read.
     Hans Hubermann a.k.a. Papa is the adoptive father of Liesel. He mostly is a static character, but he provides much needed support.
     Rosa Hubermann a.k.a. Mama is the adoptive mother of Liesel. She is a strict, foul-mouthed woman, but she is also a round character and shows a loving side.
     Rudy is the love interest and best friend of Liesel. He is a very lovable and fun character.
     Max is the Jew that the Hubermanns decide to hide. He has many physical and emotional struggles. He is a companion to and changes Liesel.

Plot: This story is not a suspense or quest sort of story, but it is a recounting of events. The author will focus on a specific event and then skip several months. This didn’t bother me because it is how someone telling their own story would write: important events are recounted and many daily activities are skipped. Also, I could tolerate the time skips because they happened constantly. The plot revolves around Liesel surviving and finding meaning in life in Nazi Germany. Another big part is Liesel discovering the power of words beginning with learning to read. Although not particularly suspenseful, I still found myself reading The Book Thief at an alarming rate.

Ending:The ending did not come as a surprise because Death had forewarned the readers several times. However, I still had my heart ripped in shreds and cried for a while when I read the ending. While the ending is not a surprise, it is still just as, or even more, effective than if it was a surprise. In summary: “I laughed, I cried. It moved me, Bob.”

Other media: There is a movie. It is rather good for a movie adaptation, but I think that the book is better.

Things to watch out for: There are quite a few curse words used throughout the book, but I felt like swearing was not overused and fit the characters. This book takes place in Nazi Germany, so there is also the cold realities of life. Some of the material might be disturbing, but I would argue it is necessary to remember the atrocities committed to prevent repeating them.

Who should read: Many of my friends, my dad, and I have all read this book and loved it. Anyone high school age or older should read this book, regardless of whether they are an avid reader or not.

Book Commercial: The Woodcutter Sister series