Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater

 

Book Title: Mr. Popper's Penguins
Authors: Richard and Florence Atwater
Reading Level: Middle-Grade (all middle-grade)
My Rating: 4/5 Stars
Content Rating: G (no concerns)
Tidbit: When house-painter Mr. Popper receives a package from Australia containing a penguin, hilarious antics ensue!

Mr. Popper makes a living by painting houses and wall-papering walls. But his real dream has always been to travel, especially to Antarctica. Since that isn't a possibility, he instead immerses himself in books and radio shows about penguins, the Antarctic, and the explorations there of Admiral Drake. One day, Mr. Popper gets the surprise of his life when he opens a large box shipped to him from Antarctica, and life gets kind of crazy in the Popper house!

I thought this story was cute, though definitely unrealistic. But my 8 1/2 year old LOVED it.  She kept laughing while reading, and when I would tell her what part I was in, she would say,  "isn't that hilarious!?!" That alone endears the book to me a bit more. And I think it would make a super-fun family read-aloud!

There was a movie made of this book in the 2010s, I believe.  It stars Jim Carrey.  I checked it out from the library and planned to have an enjoyable movie night with my kids.  Well, we lasted about 15 minutes.  My kids weren't all that interested, and honestly, they changed the details of the book almost from the word go; with Mr. Popper being a saavy and somewhat conceited sales-man in the movie. I was bummed we couldn't enjoy it, but it may be fun for others!

Look for my Mom and Me Book Club post coming soon for this book!  (I'm just slacking a bit on it.)

Charlotte's Web by E. B. White

 

Book: Charlotte's Web
Author: E. B. White
Reading Level: Middle-grade
My Rating: 4/5 Stars
Content Rating: G

My daughter's 3rd-grade class started reading this, and I realized I've never actually read it! I've seen the cartoon movie (was it made in the 1980s? That's when I watched it!), so I knew the story. But I'd never read the book! So I set about to remedy that.

That cartoon movie follows the book so well that I almost feel as though I HAD read the book. And while reading the book, I couldn't help but hear the movie's songs in my head:

I open up and talk! Talk talk talk talk, I can talk!

The fair is a veritable smorgasbord...

I guess what struck me most with reading this book as an adult was how it deals with the topic of death (quite a bit) for a young audience in a way they can relate to. Death is a hard and heavy subject for most people, but especially for children. I think it's handled well here.

There are other, happier themes in the book too, though. Friendship, of course, and love. I think those themes help balance the heavier topics.

Brave New World -- Aldoux Huxley

***Thought provoking for sure. Depressing to me. Not my favorite dystopian novel. One thing I do find interesting that is common among several dystopian novels is their view of motherhood, or child-bearing. In The Giver, child-bearing is viewed as a lowly "assignment." In BRAVE NEW WORLD, the term mother is considered pornographic. Again, in both books, the idea of the traditional family is balked at as ridiculous and unnecessary. How interesting it is to me that these books which are written to point out how awful these so-called utopias actually would be also break down the fundamental unit of our society. Methinks the authors, whether consciously or not, recognized the importance of the traditional family.

The Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times

The East End of London in Post-World War II years was a rough place to be. So Jennifer Worth found out when she went to work at Nonnatus house as a midwife. Respected for her profession, she was never in fear of her surroundings; but she recognized the challenges and hardships around her. The East Enders were a tough lot, because their lives were hard. And as she served them and worked among them, she grew to love many of them. She witnessed miracles as she helped bring new life into the world. She witnessed heartache and sacrifice, forgiveness and joy.


***I LOVED the book. But that didn't surprise me, since I'd already loved the TV show. Some of the stories were/are heart-breaking, particularly for anyone who has ever been a mother (in any way). And some of the stories just warm the heart as well. A lovely memoir well-written and even laugh-out-loud funny at times, this was well worth the read.

Jane Eyre -- Charlotte Bronte

Orphaned at a young age, Jane Eyre found herself the charge of an unloving aunt-in-law who despised her and eventually sent young Jane away to a school for orphans. Finding there a kind teacher and headmistress, Jane is able to blossom and eventually become a teacher at the school. But Jane is not content to stay put. Eventually she desires to expand her horizons, so she advertises her services in a newspaper and is soon hired on as a governess in a wealthy home. There she meets Edward Rochester, the owner of the home. Though at first he is off-putting in his sternness, he and Jane eventually fall in love and plan to be married.

But life has other plans. A long-held secret is revealed on Jane and Edward's wedding day, causing Jane to flee Thornfield Hall. She finds herself a pauper and happens to beg at the right home in a little town. There, the local parson and his sisters take her in and nurse her back to health. Given a chance to begin afresh, Jane proves her strength as a woman and eventually comes into her own.

***I think I simply don't like the style of writing of some of these 19th-century English novels... They are so wordy that I take forever to get into them. I am a lover of language, but these just seem superfluous. That said, once I got into the story, I was excited to continue reading. There were unanticipated twists that Bronte added to the story expertly. I found myself wondering what decisions Jane would make as the story drew to a close and was almost certain, for a while, I would be disgusted with her choice. I was pleasantly surprised at the end, though. All in all a good read. Just wish there was a little less (what I consider) unnecessary description.

Wild -- Cheryl Strayed

Cheryl Strayed (the last name one she chose for herself after her divorce) is a woman with many troubles. Her past is riddled with violence and instability with one exception: her loving mother. But when Cheryl is 22, cancer takes her mother from her as well, and Cheryl spirals into a self-destructive spin of drugs and immorality.

Finally forced to face who she has become when she realizes she has made a mess of her life, Cheryl can conceive of only one solution to mend herself: hike the Pacific Coast Trail. Alone. With little to no knowledge about long-distance hiking, and even less experience. But Cheryl is determined. And so she sets out on a life-altering journey through California and Oregon to find herself. And who she finds surprises her.


***It is hard for me to rate this book, honestly. I read it for book club and am anxious/nervous to see how discussion goes. Strayed has a gift for words. She weaves her past into the story of the trail so seamlessly, and I constantly wanted to keep reading. At the same time, though, I was appalled by much of it. The language was rough. And I cannot identify with this woman at all. So much so that I have a hard time feeling bad for some of what she went through in life. Not sure I would recommend this to others and don't plan to see the movie.

The Fault in Our Stars -- John Green

Dying of cancer sucks. That's pretty much how Hazel Grace Lancaster feels about it. But she is dying of cancer, and she'd just as soon live out the remainder of her life the way she wants to: at home, reading the same book over and over, and watching TV with her parents. Her mother, though, wants Hazel to "have a life." And so, to appease her ever-hovering and loving mother, Hazel agrees to attend a cancer support group at a local church. And that's where she meets Augustus Waters, a cancer survivor with a charismatic smile and intriguing personality. Hazel never thought she'd be particularly interested in romance, given her own situation. But Augustus Waters changes all that the day he stares at her through support group.

As Hazel and Augustus' relationship develops, even as Hazel tries to prevent it, for she sees herself as a grenade who will explode and destroy the people close to her, they experience moments of a lifetime. They create their own infinity in a finite number of days. And Hazel comes to learn the power of love and to realize we can avoid oblivion.


***I thought this was a powerful and beautiful novel. The author has an amazing way with words and expresses some very deep and beautiful things through the characters in this novel. My only regret is I watched the movie first. One of my favorite quotes: "Love is keeping the promise anyway."

The Maze Runner -- James Dashner

When Thomas wakes up alone in a lift, almost the only thing he can remember is his own name. Thirty minutes later, when the doors of the lift open, he is surrounded by a large group of boys -- teenagers -- none of whom he recognizes. And he soon learns he is in a place called The Glade: the only safe place in The Maze. The more Thomas learns, the more disturbing his reality is. The Maze seems to have no exit. And it harbors horrifying creatures which are only too happy to kill anyone out in The Maze at night.

But after only one day in his new "home," things start changing. And little by little, Thomas begins to have feelings of familiarity about certain aspects of The Maze. While he cannot remember the details of his past, he senses a deeper connection with The Maze and the only girl there, who has suddenly shown up with the frightening message: that after two years of sameness, things are going to change.

Soon Thomas earns the right to be a Maze Runner. He hopes to help the Gladers find a way to solve the maze and return them all to the life they used to know. But some don't want to go back. Some have had memories of what they left behind in their old lives, and they would rather stay in The Maze. Some even seem to have memories of Thomas; memories that cause distrust.

But time is running out. The Ending has been triggered. And, like it or not, all Gladers will have to make a choice.

This was a good read. I didn't want to stop reading. There were some "eh" parts, and sometimes it felt a little rushed -- as though everything happened too quickly. But the story kept me going and I wanted to know what would happen next.

If I Stay - Gayle Forman

On a snow-dusted morning, Mia and her family pile into the family car and head to visit relatives. But they never arrive there. Instead, Mia sees the horrors of a car accident that left her parents dead and her younger brother Teddy in a hospital. Mia can't believe she wasn't harmed in the accident that killed her parents... Until she finds her own body and realizes she was. And she is seeing everything from outside herself.

While in the hospital, Mia comes to realizes she is still here because she gets to choose if she stays. And so Mia spends the following 24 hours remembering, pondering, and deciding. Does she stay with the friends, boyfriend, and hopes of the future (Julliard, graduation, possibly marriage one day)? Or does she let go and join her family, for before long, she learns she's even lost her little brother.

Only Mia can choose. And the choice is not an easy one.


***So this was a quick read. I just didn't like it. I didn't care for a lot of the behaviors condoned in the novel and felt irritated by a lot of it. I don't plan on reading the sequel.

The City of Ember -- Jeanne DuPrau

In the city of Ember, the lights are starting to go out... a lot. Nobody knows how to fix the generator permanently... the generator which powers the entire city. And nobody knows what to do about all the supply shortages which are happening either. Perhaps, in most cities, this wouldn't be a problem. But Ember isn't like most cities. Because when the lights go out in Ember, there is NO light at all -- everything is pitch black. There is no fire, no flashlights. And there's nowhere to go, for as the citizens have been told for centuries: there is no place BUT Ember.

Most of the citizens are content to accept that Ember is the only city in existence. They are willing to pretend nothing is wrong, though somewhere inside they know the now-frequent blackouts are not good. Some of the citizens know things are bad -- and they are seeking to make their lives comfortable until the end. But there are some who are unwilling to accept the impending doom of their city. Lina Mayfleet and Doon Harrow are two of those citizens. And though they are only twelve years old, they begin the search for a solution and a way out of Ember.

Lina feels there must be a city somewhere else, for she has dreamed of it. Doon feels there must be a way to fix the generator permanently, if only he understood electricity. But when Lina happens upon a partially-destroyed (thanks to her toddler-sister Poppy) sheet of paper with instructions that seem to be vitally important, she turns to Doon as one who can work with her to solve the mystery of the instructions -- and maybe find a way out of the City of Ember and into a different world.


**I picked this book up to read to fill the space between the last book I finished and the one I was waiting for at the library. I ended up liking this book. I think it's a great read for early teens (12/13), both boys and girls. There is adventure and suspense. I was eager to see how it ended, and I'm now planning to read the next in the series!

Divergent -- Veronica Roth

Some time in future Chicago, the day has come for Beatrice Prior and all her 16 year-old friends to make a decision which will change their entire lives: the decision to leave their family and the only way of life they've ever known, or to stay. For Beatrice, the choice has been something over which she struggled. Though her heart yearned to be with her family, she did not feel that she fit in with the way of life of the Abnegations -- those who are selfless. But to choose to leave her family, with the sure knowledge she'd be disowned, was a heart-breaking choice.

Even more troubling than the decision which lays before her are the results of the aptitude test -- the test which determines where she really belongs, even if she chooses otherwise. When her results come back inconclusive, she hears a word she's never heard before: DIVERGENT. It is a word almost whispered. A word warned against. A word she is admonished to keep secret, even from her parents. It is the word which describes Beatrice.

With little help from the aptitude test for decision-making, Beatrice chooses to leave her family and join the Dauntless -- those brave ones who are meant to protect the city from harm. And she changes her name to Tris, a more fitting name, she feels, for a brave fighter.

But all is not as it seems. Because all is not as it once was when the factions were created years before. As Beatrice initiates into the Dauntless faction, she faces violence, cruelty, betrayal. She finds herself singled out and must work constantly to keep her secret safe -- for there is fear associated with her divergence. And when she finds out the truth, she must strive to warn her family whom she loves; because she cannot fully accept the edict "faction before blood," even if it costs her her life.


*I will say that this book was a page-turner for me. I wanted to see how things would pan out. That being said, I found it disturbingly violent for the age group it is intended for and also felt like some of the storyline got rushed toward the end of the novel, thereby making it not as well developed as I think it could have been.

The Book Thief -- Markus Zusak

It's 1939 and Leisel Meminger is a young girl living in Nazi Germany. She and her brother are traveling with their mother to be left in the care of foster parents Rosa and Hans Hubermann. But Leisel's brother doesn't make it -- he dies on the train and is buried in a town along the way.

And that's when Leisel steals her first book, an act which sets in motion her destiny.

Though at first reluctant to accept her new living arrangements and the loss of all her family, Leisel eventually acclimates and finds her place among the Hubermanns and the other residents of Himmel Street. She finds her best friend in a boy named Rudy who lives next door. And, with the help of her new Papa, she learns to read during midnight reading sessions. Soon Leisel's hunger for words grows, and when, at a book burning to celebrate the Fuhrer's birthday, she spots a book that escaped destruction, she steals it. An act she will perform every time she needs a new book flong or reading.

But life is dangerous in Nazi Germany. Especially if you're a Jew. And, unbeknownst to Leisel, her life is soon to be intertwined with one such Jew. And nothing will ever be the same.


**This was an amazing read. I didn't want to put it down. A beautiful story of love and humanity -- both the goodness within us as well as the cruelty of which we are capable -- this novel had me thinking a lot about events which happened long before I was born, but which changed the world I would come into forever. And this book has certainly changed me as well.         

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil -- John Berendt

In the heart of the Deep South, in Savannah, Georgia, a murder has occurred. A rich antiques dealer, Jim Williams, has just shot Danny Hansford, a young man with a deeply troubled and violent past. Jim Williams claims it was an act of self-defense, but the evidence leaves many questioning the truthfulness of his claim. Thus begins an almost decade-long investigation and mulitple trials as Jim Williams appeals his guilty verdict again and again.

Set amid the backdrop of Savannah -- a city where everyone knows everyone else, where gossip spreads wildly, and where superstitions fuel many fires -- this story unfolds with shocking detail, humorous characters, and witty stories of interesting Savannah.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader -- C. S. Lewis

While their brother and sister Peter and Susan are away, Edmund and Lucy find themselves back in Narnia with their whiney cousin Eustace. Their adventure starts when they manage to accidentally enter a painting in the house where they are staying, and they find themselves aboard the Dawn Treader with King Caspian and his crew aboard. Caspian and his men have set out to travel as far East as possible in order to find seven of Caspian's father's dearest friends who had been sent out years before to explore the lands, but who never returned. One of the crew on the journey is Reepicheep, a mouse who believes his destiny is to go to the end of the world.

As the Dawn Treader's occupants travel the known lands, they gain experience and knowledge. But before long, they sail off into the unknown and find many curious lands full of dragons, darkness, magic, and greed. They find that they have opportunities to grow and learn individually with the situations with which they are faced on the different lands. And each of them improves personally through the trials they face on their journey.

Angels & Demons -- Dan Brown

Leonardo Vetra, a prominent scientist at CERN -- a veritable mecca of the world's top scientists -- is found dead in his home at CERN headquarters. His murder is gruesome and puzzling, but most confusingly, it opens a frightening past about a secret brotherhood thought to be long-disbanded: The Illuminati. Branded upon the dead scientist's chest is the anagrammatical word "Illuminati." When the director of CERN, Maximilian Kohler, discovers Vetra and the brand, he immediately enlists the help of well-known symbologist Robert Langdon, whose work and research include extensive knowledge of the old brotherhood. What Langdon finds when he arrives at CERN is far more frightening than a mere murder would have indicated, because the motive for the scientist's death revolves around new technology: the technology of antimatter -- a technology with more destructive power than the world has ever before encountered. And most terrifying is the fact that the largest amount of antimatter that had been created at CERN, by Vetra and his daughter Vittoria, has been stolen from its hidden underground vault. And the clock is ticking, for when the clock strikes midnight, the antimatter will explode, and it will take with it two square miles of anything in its radius.

Through a twist of luck, Langon and Vittoria Vetra learn that the stolen antimatter is hidden somewhere deep within the Vatican, where the sacred ceremony of conclave is scheduled to take place for the election of a new pope. Working against time, they go to the Vatican and struggle to learn and follow the centuries-old "Path of Illumination" created by the Illuminati in order to find the antimatter. But the stakes have risen as well. For an assasin has kidnapped the four cardinals who are being considered for the papal throne, and he will kill one of them each hour.

With the help of Camerlengo Ventresca, the Swiss Guard, and ancient documents locked within the Vatican archives, Langdon and Vittoria trek across Rome and back again to the Vatican in a race to save the Catholic Church from it's age-old enemy, the Illuminati; and the people of Rome and the Vatican from certain death at midnight. And before it's over, people will die, truths will be revealed, and betrayal from within the ranks will become apparent.

The Time Traveller's Wife -- Audrey Niffenegger

The first time Clare met Henry DeTamble, she was six and he was forty-two. The first time Henry met Clare, she was eighteen and he was twenty-six. But this is to be expected when one is a time-traveller; and that is precisely what Henry is. He finds himself uncontrollably and unexpectedly hurled back and forth through time, visiting people, places, and events from his past and future - and never able to change what will happen, or rather, what already has. And Clare... Well, Clare waits. Always for Henry. And as she waits, she proves that love can overcome everything - even time.