Estimated Reading Time 2 MinutesRating: Genre: Fantasy, YA First sentence: Look, I didn’t want to be a half-blood. Favorite Quote From the Book: Publisher: Disney-Hyperion (March 21, 2006), Paperback: 400 pages / ISBN 0786838655 Review by Matt Berman: Percy Jackson, dyslexic and hotheaded, has been kicked out of yet another school. But stranger things are happening around him, and soon he finds himself at Camp Half Blood, a refuge and training ground for children of the Greek gods, who are still around and causing trouble for humans. He discovers that his dyslexia is caused by his brain being hardwired for Greek, and his hotheadedness is because, well, he’s a hero. All too soon he discovers which god is his father, and that he is a pawn in a titanic battle between the gods that may ignite World War III. Accompanied by a daughter of Athena and a young Satyr, Percy is sent to retrieve Zeus’ lightning bolt from Hades, who supposedly stole it. But things are even more complicated than he and the gods imagined, and there are dangerous plots afoot. After Thoughts: I really enjoyed reading this book. I have been a fan of mythology for a long time.…
Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan
The Velveteen Rabbit By Margery Williams
Estimated Reading Time 1 Minutes This is a wonderful story about love and the impact toys have on children and their imagination. It was one of my favorite bedtime stories as a kid. Amazon.com Review: A stuffed toy rabbit (with real thread whiskers) comes to life in Margery Williams’s timeless tale of the transformative power of love. Given as a Christmas gift to a young boy, the Velveteen Rabbit lives in the nursery with all of the other toys, waiting for the day when the Boy (as he is called) will choose him as a playmate. In time, the shy Rabbit befriends the tattered Skin Horse, the wisest resident of the nursery, who reveals the goal of all nursery toys: to be made “real” through the love of a human. “‘Real isn’t how you are made,’ said the Skin Horse. ‘It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.’” This sentimental classic–perfect for any child who’s ever thought that maybe, just maybe, his or her toys have feelings–has been charming children since its first publication in 1922. (A great…
The Chosen by Chaim Potok
Estimated Reading Time 1 MinutesThis is one of my all time favorite books. I first discovered it when I was in 6th grade, and have reread it many times since then. It’s a book that has really affected the way I look at the world and changed my life. This book truly is a must read. I really liked the concise review I found on Littera Scripta Manet, So I decided to just copy from there rather than write my own review: In The Chosen, Potok tells the story of two Jewish boys in 1940’s Brooklyn–Reuven and Daniel–who form an unlikely friendship after a baseball hit by Daniel, a Hassidic, strikes Reuven, a Modern Orthodox, in the eye. As their friendship develops, so does the social and political climate as the boys’ fathers react differently to the potential for an Israeli state at the conclusion of World War II. Ultimately, the boys successfully maintain their friendship, while responsibly dealing with the conflicts between their fathers and their beliefs. The novel’s themes include the strength of friendship, the pursuit of truth, religion & the secular world, and father-son relationships; a father’s advice on friendship; two views on how to raise a…
The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry
Estimated Reading Time 1 Minutes If you’ve ever wished to be part of an ‘old fashioned story’ then this is the book for you. Lois Lowry has done it again, though this book has a distinctly different flavor than her other books. You can definitely taste the influence of such authors as Roald Dahl or L.M. Montgomery. The book has a certain twisted nature but leaves you content that everything works out in the end. It is a quick read and easily finished in an afternoon. In the book, Lowry pokes fun at some of English Literature’s most famous ‘worthy and winsome orphans’ while honoring them at the same time. Tired being neglected by their horrible parents, the four Willoughby Children concoct a plan to become orphans themselves. Meanwhile, Inspired by the tale of Hansel and Gretel, their parents are trying just as hard to get rid of them. Like most old fashioned stories, this one also includes a very capable nanny, and an extremely wealthy benefactor. Don’t let the stereotypes fool you though, this old fashioned story is brand new. One of the best things about the book is the way Lowry plays with you as the reader. She…
A Wrinkle In Time By Madeleine L’Engle
Estimated Reading Time 1 MinutesMeg Murry’s Father has been gone for two years and no one knows exactly why. All they know is that he was working on a top secret government project. It has been a difficult time for the whole family, but especially for Meg and her younger brother Charles Wallace who was only a baby when he left. One day a very special visitor, Mrs. Whatsit, arrives and helps Meg, Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin set out on a great adventure to rescue him. In order to do this they travel through time and space and meet some very interesting people along the way. They find their father trapped on a far a way planet ruled by IT which controls the minds and lives of all who live there. When Charles Wallace falls under the power of IT, it is up to Meg to try and save the day. This book is another all time favorite of mine. “A Wrinkle In Time” like so many children’s books can be read and appreciated at many different levels. It has many different themes including the power of choice, finding a happy medium, exploring spiritual and religious ideas, and…
Little Britches by Ralph Moody
Estimated Reading Time 1 Minutes This is a wonderful true story about how a young boy learns some of life’s best lessons while working a small ranch with his father. I love simple heartfelt stories like this, and like the cover says it is a perfect book to read aloud. If you are like me and believe that you are what you read, then you will learn a lot from this book. Amazon.com review: Without the flamboyance or the caricature of other “life with Father” books this tells, simply, directly of the Moody family and their life in Colorado. Father’s health necessitated a move and all seven of the Moodys moved to a godforsaken little ranch. There Little Britches learned how to face a situation, through emphatic lessons and Father’s kindly but firm insistence on cause and effect. This is the story of hard luck, stubborn pride, and altruistic community endeavor, for Father is the one who evolves a solution for the water problem, and of the implanting of an honest, moral philosophy. It is the story too of Little Britches’ first earnings, of his interrupted schooling, of his Indian friend, Two Dog, who added to the excitement of the…
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
Estimated Reading Time 1 Minutes I thought this book was pretty great. It is a wonderful story, but a little slow in places. I agree with the review that the book could have been shortened easily. However, I am the kind of person who loves to read thick books and this didn’t bother me too much. It is another book that is sort of old fashioned and a little “Roald Dahlish”. It has that same sort of flavor. Anyway, it’s worth checking out. Review from Amazon.com: *Starred Review* “Are you a gifted child looking for Special Opportunities?” This curious newspaper ad catches the eye of orphan Reynie Muldoon. After taking exams that test both mind and spirit, Reynie is selected along with four other contestants–Sticky Washington, a nervous child with a photographic memory; irrepressible Kate Weatherhill; and a tiny child who lives up to her name, Constance Contraire. The children soon learn they’ve been chosen by mysterious Mr. Benedict for an important mission: they are to infiltrate the isolated Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, from which messages of distrust and compliance are being broadcast into the minds of the world’s citizens. Debut novelist Stewart takes some familiar conventions–among them,…
The Hollow Kingdom Trilogy
Estimated Reading Time 1 MinutesThis is one of the best fantasy series that I have read in a long time. The beginning for me was a little slow when you find the protagonist, Kate, and her sister Emily move to the country to live with some distant relatives. But once the story really begins you’re hooked. The girls find themselves in the company of goblins, and not just any old goblins but the Goblin King himself with his own band of misfits. He has come to steal Kate away and make her his bride. After a lot of trouble, Kate agrees to go with him on one condition. He must rescue her sister who has been kidnapped by a dastardly cousin. There are several reasons why I loved these stories. The biggest one being that it shows familiar fairytale villains in a friendly light. The characters are well developed and engaging, The adventure is original, and the experience is one you will want to repeat over and over again. You can visit the Author’s website at claredunkle.com
Do You Know How Lucky You Are?
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Mom’s Famous Breakfast Pizza
464
Estimated Reading Time 1 MinutesThere is no better way to start off your new year than with homemade breakfast pizza! That’s what I did thanks to the best mom ever. This pizza is a tradition in our family and the ultimate breakfast food. It’s cheesy, it’s meaty, it’s simply delicious. Try it for yourself and see what you think. Mom’s Famous Breakfast Pizza *Makes 1 Jelly Roll Pan Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds of sausage – browned 1 bag of Ore Ida cheddar browns 8 eggs – beaten 2 cups of cheddar cheese – grated 2 cups of mozzarella cheese – grated salt & pepper to taste Your own favorite Pizza Dough (rolled out on pan) For our dough use: 1 1/2 cups hot water 1 t. yeast 1/4 c. sugar 1 T. oil 1/2 t. salt 3-4 c. flour (add enough flour so it’s not sticky) Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Knead dough on oiled surface until smooth. Spread out on lightly greased pan. Sprinkle on ingredients in this order: sausage, cheddar browns, eggs, salt & pepper, and last of all cheese. Bake for 25 min or until done. Then Dig In!