Jimi: Sounds Like a Rainbow by Gary Golio

Jimi: Sounds Like a Rainbow: a Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix by Gary Golio

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


This book was just okay. The pictures are interesting, but I found the text looking disorganized on the pages because of all the color and fonts used. It may prompt older readers to wonder about Jimi Hendrix and seek out other materials about him.



View all my reviews

Knuffle Bunny Free by Mo Willems

Knuffle Bunny Free: An Unexpected Diversion by Mo Willems

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I was done with this story after _Knuffle Bunny, Too!_ I mean, really, how irresponsible is this family? Luckily, it should be over now. The author's letter to his daughter at the end is sweet, though.



View all my reviews

Here Comes the Garbage Barge by Jonah Winter

Here Comes the Garbage Barge! by Jonah Winter

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This book is based on the true story of trying to find a 'home' for garbage that no one wanted to take responsibility for. The pictures were funny and interesting but not cutesy. This would be a good book to read one-on-one.



View all my reviews

Bink and Gollie by Kate DiCamillo

Bink and Gollie by Kate DiCamillo

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I didn't love this book; yeah, it was cute, but I thought that the taller one was an adult, so I thought their relationship was weird. Even later learning that they're friends doesn't make it extra special for me or anything. Kids will probably like it, but it's not really for me.



View all my reviews

Sir Charlie Chaplin, the Funniest Man in the World

Sir Charlie Chaplin by Sid Fleischman

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Charlie Chaplin dreamed of living a better life while he was stuck in the slums of London with his mother and older brother. He did odd jobs around town to help his family get by; as a teen, one of the jobs he

had was as a slapstick comedy performer in vaudeville acts (variety shows). When his small group was touring America, a director saw his act and signed him to do movies (which were silent and only a few

minutes long at that time).



Charlie soon gained enough confidence in his comedic acting ability—and earned enough money—to leave the production company he had originally signed with in order to not only build his own studio, but direct and star in his own films. The public loved these films and couldn’t get enough of him, making him a multi-millionaire—and making his boyhood dreams come true.



This is a very interesting book about a man that, when in costume, nearly anyone today can identify—but whose personal life isn’t as universally well known. His rags-to-riches rise from poor boy to Hollywood legend is a great and inspiring story. Those who enjoyed this book might also enjoy other biographies by Sid Fleischman, such as Escape! The Story of the Great Houdini (Harry Houdini) or The Trouble Begins at 8: a Life of Mark Twain in the Wild, Wild West (Mark Twain).





View all my reviews

The Genius Wars by Catherine Jinks

The Genius Wars by Catherine Jinks

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I was very much looking forward to this book and I found it to be pretty good. This one took a while for me to get into, just as it took me a while to get into the first two books, but it's worth it.



In this book, the third (and final?!) in the series, Cadel is trying to live a "normal" life as a university student (although he's still years younger than the rest of the students there) and as part of a real family (he has been adopted). Prosper English seems to be ignoring him the same way he is ignoring Prosper, and all seems well...



...until strange accidents keep happening that Cadel doesn't believe are really accidents. People close to him keep getting hurt or almost killed and Cadel is sure Prosper has something to do with this. He's tired of running, he's tired of hiding, and he's tired of worrying about those he cares about getting hurt because of him.



This was such a good story (but not as good as the first one--to me) and I can't believe that this is the final book. The ending doesn't tie anything up at all! Maybe there will be another book added because this story is NOT over yet. Assuming that there is indeed another book coming, I would recommend this series to anyone wanting to read an interesting, different type of series.



View all my reviews

The Dreamer by Pam Munoz Ryan

The Dreamer by Pam Muñoz Ryan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


In a small village in Chile, Neftali Reyes is a shy boy whose mind is always wandering; he finds beauty in the simplest things in nature and is fascinated by words. His father, however, wants him to be more focused and hard working so that he might become a doctor or a dentist.



The reader follows Neftali as he grows up; we learn that, as an adolescent, he still has trouble focusing in school and that he still has a love of words. In fact, he has filled dozens of notebooks with his thoughts. He also begins to notice the social injustices suffered by the Mapuche people in his homeland and unites with his caring uncle to spread the word about this. He continues to write once he gets to university, only he changes his name to Pablo Neruda so as not to shame his father.



This fictional biography provides the reader with an idea of what Nobel Prize-winning poet Pablo Neruda’s life was like growing up. Not only does the book share both heart-warming and heart-wrenching stories from Neruda’s past, it also includes illustrations by Peter Sis and bits of Neruda’s own (translated) poetry. Those who enjoyed this book might also enjoy these other fictional biographies: A Mind with Wings: the Story of Henry David Thoreau (Hausman) or Bear Dancer: the Story of a Ute Girl (Wyss).





View all my reviews