Review (Audiobook) - Fairy Haven and the Quest for the Wand by Gail Carson Levine

"The mermaid Soop has sent a flood to Fairy Haven! Water-talent fairy Rani must bring Soop a wand or the Home Tree and all the Never faeries will be swept away. But wise Mother Dove isn't sure which is worse, a wand or a flood. Wand wishes, tantalizing wand wishes, are risky. The Most innocent wish can cause untold trouble. And not even Mother Dove knows that wands have hearts and minds - kind hearts or cruel hearts, sympathetic minds or minds filled with spite and mischief.

Rani, Tinker Bell, and Ree, queen of the Never fairies, set out on a perilous quest for a wand, a journay that takes them across an ocean to the palace of the terrifying Great Wanded fairies. Many obstacles stand between the questers and success: Tink's disappearance, a mermaid's magical song, wand madness, and even Never Land itself. Meanwhile, the floodwaters are rising...." (back cover)

Peter Pan is my favorite Disney movie (don't look for many similarities though between his movie and the Disney Fairy books, though), and I enjoy the other Disney Fairy books, but this book/audiobook was disappointing, starting with the description (above). I feel about both the description and the book that there are too many unnecessary distractions and that the book/description was written too fast without enough revision. I also found the last paragraph of the description too depressing to add to the body above, but it includes a bit about the story being a warning of the "dangers of dreams coming true"; so a big *CRUSH* to all you kids' dreams out there...It's a Children's book - lighten up!

It might be due to the high standards I now have for audiobook narrators after Josephine Bailey, but I was unimpressed with Rosalyn Landor. In the beginning she sounded far too proper; I could tell from the introduction that this woud be a book I'd rather read than listen to. To whoever assigns the narrator to a specific book, I simply can not imagine most fairies having an English accent. I found Tink to be too much of a whiner (if that's a word), and several of the characters sounded too much alike.

I found this audiobook difficult to pay attention to. If I stopped paying attention even for what seemed like only a moment, I was really confused as to what was going on. Other times when I was listening, the book still seemed to randomly switch directions multiple times.

The first CD/first third of the book had too much unnecessary repetition. It reminded me of when I was young and would write stories where every line of dialogue would have to include "he said" or "she said" - every fairy had to share their wish and every fairy had to ask Mother Dove if they could go to the mainland. I would imagine it to be less annoying to skim over those lines in a book rather than have to listen to every fairy say this or that.

I almost gave up on listening to the book, but I did wind up holding out to the end. The second half of the book wasn't that bad to listen to. Rosalyn seemed to get into her characters more, and overall the story wasn't terrible.

I have read Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg and I don't think it is necessary to read it first, even though it is classified as a prequel.

Amazon recommends this audiobook for ages 4 - 8, but I think this is a little young. The book is 208 pages/3 CDs, and does contain brief mentionings about fairies dying by drowning. Personally, I would suggest ages 7 - 10.

My Rating:

Review (Book) - A Child Called "It" by David Pelzer

"A Child Called "It" is the unforgettable account of one of the most severe child abuse cases in California history. It is the story of Dave Pelzer, who was brutally beaten and starved by his emotionally unstable, alcoholic mother: a mother who played torturous, unpredictable games - games that left him nearly dead. He had to learn how to play his mother's games in order to survive because she no longer considered him a son, but a slave; and no longer a boy, but an "it."

Dave's bed was an old army cot in the basement, and his clothes were torn and raunchy. When his mother allowed him the luxury of food, it was nothing more than spoiled scraps that even the dogs refused to eat. The outside world knew nothing of his living nightmare. He had nothing and no one to turn to, but his dreams kept him alive - dreams of someone taking care of him, loving him and calling him their son.

Through each struggle you'll find yourself enduring his pain, comforting his loneliness and fighting for his will to survive. This compelling story will awaken you to the truth about child abuse - and the ability we all have to make a difference." (back cover)

I pulled this book off the shelves at Bayshore Landing Cafe a couple weekends ago (I promise, not all of their books are this depressing) and haven't been able to bring myself to review it until now. I had heard of this book since I was a shelver - often either re-shelving the it, shelf-reading over it, or being asked for the book for a school list. Which leads me to my ultimate question, how can this possibly be required reading for anyone school-aged? I certainly see how it can make youth appreciative for what they are (most likely) lucky enough to have.

I made it through the entire book in one sitting - that's something I haven't been able to accomplish with a book in quite some time. However, I wouldn't recommend subjecting yourself to this book's contents in one sitting. Then again, I can also imagine the story being so appalling that if you put the book down, you wouldn't want to subject yourself to another sitting of [reading about] this horror. Overall, I wouldn't recommend the book, as I don't know of anyone who would want to read about such terrible acts. There were times when I would have torn up the book or thrown it across the room or cursed or said other inappropriate things (specifically "grow a pair" to the gutless father) had the book been my own. If you do choose to subject yourself to the book and its contents, I wholeheartedly hope you find a new appreciation for your mother and the life you have.

Just because I don't recommend the book doesn't mean I disliked the writing. Obviously, if the book was written well enough to keep me on a couch for the entire story, that's saying something.

There are many child abuse resources at the end of the book. Perspectives on child abuse from Dave Pelzer and other "characters" from the story, resources/contact information for help, an "About the Author" section, and information on how to contact Dave, should you wish to have him speak at a seminar or school assembly.

I don't understand how Mr. Pelzer could have overcome what he experienced during his childhood and learn to trust a woman enough to marry her and have a child of his own, but congratulations to him. I don't doubt that his experiences also make him capable of being the world's best father. Maybe I'll have to read his two sequels to find out what happens, should they ever pass by Bayshore's shelves.

A Child Called "It" can be found at Amazon here.

My Rating:

Review (Audiobook) - Rebel Angels by Libba Bray

"Ah, Christmas! Gemma Doyle is looking forward to a holiday from Spence Academy - spending time with her friends in the city, attending balls in fancy gowns with plunging necklines, and dallying with the handsome Simon Middleton. Yet amid these distractions, her visions intensify - visions of three girls dressed in white, to whome something horrific has happened that only the realms can explain.


The lure is strong, and soon Gemma, Felicity, and Ann are turning flowers into butterflies in the enchanted world that Gemma takes them to. To the girls' great joy, their beloved Pippa is there as well, eager to complete their circle of friendship.


But all is not well in the realms - or out. Kartik is back, desperately insisitng to Gemma that she must bind the magic, lest colossal disaster befall her. Gemma is willing to comply, for this would bring her face to face with her late mother's greatest friends, now Gemma's foe - Circe. Until Circe is destroyed, Gemma cannot live out her destiny. But finding Circe proves a most perilous task..." (back cover)

Rebel Angels picks up two months after A Great and Terrible Beauty leaves off, but is so beautifully written it would almost seem like you could pick up this book without having to read the first.

Again, Bailey does an excellent job of narrating the characters. Although, I will admit during the first CD, I found myself wondering if she recorded the books back to back - she almost sounded a little bored with the characters. After the first CD, however, she went right back up to the incredibly high standards I have for Josephine Bailey.

Akin to A Great and Terrible Beauty, similarities to other books and movies were easily noticible in this book - Wraiths as "trackers" (Lord of the Rings), bad guys who fancy the phrase "'ello, poppet" (also made famous by Pintel in Pirates of the Caribbean), other bad guys who like to make their name more mysterious by giving themselves a new name that is really just an anagram of their other name (I was thinking of Tom Riddle at this point, of course), and evil women being trapped inside wells (from my scariest horror movie, The Ring). After all of the similarities in this book and the first in the series, I was honestly expecting the poppy warriors to be similar to the poppy field in The Wizard of Oz.

Also comparable to the first Gemma Doyle book, Rebel Angels was predictable. I knew who the bad guy was shortly into the book, and it was making me so mad that the girls could be so stupid (especially after the fun anagram portion of the book) that I had to Google the character list just to be sure. Although, something I was expecting, didn't happen - I felt that through parts of A Great and Terrible Beauty and Rebel Angels, Bray was setting it up so a different girl would "die" in each book, and at the end of the third book the final two would have to battle it out for the power.

The ending was slightly disappointing, only because it seemed a shame that so many pages/discs were used to set up the story, then it took so few pages (less than a disc's worth) to "resolve" the problem; yet, we know the problem couldn't truely be resolved, or else it wouldn't be a trilogy.

Amazon recommends this book for Young Adults. While there are not as many uncomfortable Gemma/Kartik descriptions in this book, I would still be wary of recommending this book to younger teens, as there are somewhat extensive mentionings (at least I found them extensive) of a girl being sexually abused by her father. Then again, younger teens might not understand this portion, as I myself was unable to be 100% sure whether this was the kind of "abuse" being referenced for a while.

My Rating:

Resource (Website) - Tynga's Blog Design

I think it's about time I share with you all where my lovely new blog layout has come from.
*Drumroll please...*
May I present to you:

Tynga's Blog Design!

I filled out Tynga's contact form at her blog design site (above), and I think it took her less than 12 hours to get back to me. She was very easy to keep in contact with. I just gave her an idea of what kind of a theme/colors/etc. I wanted and she would send me pictures to see what I thought. She kept me updated of her changes along the way and was very patient with me while I asked her to make dozens of minor changes. She only charged me $40, I payed her through PayPal, and she did all the installation for me. My entire blog design was created and installed in only about four days.

I super recommend her and hope she gives discounts to repeat customers! hehe

I cannot fathom how she even finds time to keep a book blog regularly updated!

~*GIVEAWAY*~ - $30 Barnes & Noble Gift Certificate

To celebrate the *NEW* layout, and as a late blog-birthday and Valentine's Day giveaway, I am holding a giveaway for a $30 Barnes & Noble online gift card sent via e-mail, good for anything on www.bn.com (except other gift certificates)!

Rules:

• You do not have to be a follower of my blog for this giveaway. You only need to post with your name and e-mail address.
• Comment on this post to enter - Only your first post will count as your entry. In your first post you should tell me if you have earned any of the extra entries and I will add them up.

*UPDATE 2/25* - After seeing the turn-out I've got in only one day (out of 36), I'm going to have to be "mean" and say that those who can not follow these two simple rules will have their posts deleted. Sorry!

Ways to earn extra entries:
+1 for new followers (must be a follower at the end of the contest to be elligible for extra point)
+3 for old followers (must be a follower at the end of the contest to be elligible for extra points)
+2 for grabbing one of my buttons
+5 for making me a new button
+1 for posting about my giveaway on your blog

The giveaway will last through the end of March. The winner will be picked by random.org and announced on April 1st (but will not be an April Fool's joke). The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my e-mail before I choose a runner-up.

What are you waiting for? Enter, then go tell your friends!

Daily Dose - Weekly Inspiration

I know I'm a couple days late with this post, but, unfortunately, I got food poisoning Sunday night so I haven't been out of bed much since then. In between my trips from my bed to the bathroom my mother called to tell me my grandfather passed away. Basically, so far this week has just sucked and I could use some inspiration.

On the blog-side, which can't be unhappy, look at my shiny new layout! Can I get an "oOoOo AaAah" from everyone? To go with the release of this new blog design, I am going to be doing a giveaway. I have tons of blog stuff to do, but unfortunately I also have a 2-4 page paper to write for school in the next 7 hours, so that will have to come first. Look for my giveaway and lots of others on my new Giveaway tab, as well as audiobook reviews and a link to the awesome resource that made my new layout sometime this weekend.

Review (Restaurant) - Bayshore Landing Cafe - CLOSED

I'll be completely honest with you, I have no idea how to write a review on a restaurant, so I'm just going to start rambling and see what comes out.


Bayshore Landing Cafe is in the Naples, FL area. It is a family owned and operated restaurant open from 11-11 every day but Sunday (closed). They feature live music and/or other entertainment nightly (one of the owners are in the "house" band), and are located at 2727 Bayshore Drive [Naples, FL 34112] in the plaza just southeast of Tamiami/U.S. 41 and Bayshore. They currently (2/13) do not have a large sign over the establishment, just on the doors and windows. They are located between the Amvets and the Spanish church Cristo Reina in units 107 and 108.

The serving style is similar to Panera Bread - seat yourself, come up to the counter to order and take a number back to your table (if they're busy). The only words I can think to describe their menu are interesting and different. If you're looking for french fries, they don't serve them. They do, however, have a selection of hummus and other vegetarian foods. Not to worry, they have plenty of other non-vegetarian dishes. I haven't tried the entire menu, but here's what I can say:

• I don't like coffee. In fact, I pretty much hate it. The only thing I ever get from Starbucks is a Mocha Frappuccino with three extra pumps of chocolate and whipped cream. However, if you order the mocha latte at Bayshore and ask for extra chocolate and milk, their drink is easily as good as Starbucks'.
• The salsa with the chips and salsa is made fresh. As far as I can tell it's made out of tomatoes, cilantro, and onions, but I wouldn't be surprised if there was something else in it that made it so tasty. The salsa is very flavorful, yet not spicy, which in my opinion is what makes it great.
• I highly recommend the pulled pork sandwich...or at least order the barbecue sauce they use with whatever dish you get. I really like barbecue sauce and the kind they use (I forget the name, but it is on their menu) is the best I've had. Ever.
• Speaking of the barbecue sauce, their brisket sandwich is really good too. I recommend getting the barbecue sauce to put on it. The bread dipped in the juices the brisket is cooked in was surprisingly yummy and added extra flavor. 
• I'm certainly not a vegetarian or big on all-vegetable dishes, but the veggie wrap they just re-created is actually pretty tasty as long as you like the vegetables that are in it.
• They have "Disney" chicken nuggets on the kids menu, and oh my gosh they're shaped like Mickey heads! If you're literate, you know I love Disney. I almost feel bad biting into Mickey's head (the same goes for the Mickey ice cream at Disney World), but still...it's Mickey! The nuggets are deep fried which I makes them extra crispy and yummy. I think I'll try making them at home some time.
• I could eat the cheesecake with homemade strawberry preserves for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert.

If you go in the restaurant during the day, they have comfortable couches and a library of books for you to read while sipping some coffee or other beverage. Obviously, it's all still there at night, I'm just not sure how easy it would be to read with that much noise from the live music. They also have a small selection of games in said "library".

The only criticisms I have are that they didn't get a plain and more professional ".com" web address. Also, if you go in grumpy and not in the mood to talk to anyone, you might have your ear talked off anyway. *For those of you friendly people who enjoy talking and/or listening, this won't be an issue; everyone is very pleasant to speak to.

***Unfortunately, Bayshore Landing closed in mid 2010***

The Fabulous Sugar Doll Blogger Award...again!

Welcome back, Fabulous Sugar Doll Blogger Award!

I've just been granted this award by Minerva at Athena's YA Book Reviews.

Many thanks, Minnie! Because I received this award recently, I will just redirect you to that post to find out my 10 interesting things. I would like to take this chance to pass the award along to a few new blogs I have come across since I originally got the award. Again, they will be given to blogs [I follow] that I find cute.

1. 
   
   Jenn at Book Crazy
2. 
   
   Marquetta at Love to Read for Fun
3. 
   
   Alyssa (et al) at Teens Read and Write

Review (Movie) - Avatar

Recipe -
1 part Alice In Wonderland
3 parts Doom
8 parts Pocahontas
8 parts Ferngully

Directions -
Combine parts on a film reel. Add silver nitrate and 3D glasses and mix well.

Put it all together and what have you got?

Since we didn't get to go Disney for Valentine's Day, my boyfriend took me to see Avatar in IMAX 3D.

The movie had stunning special effects. The 3D was done tastefully - thankfully, James Cameron didn't feel the need to have everything pop in your face to show off. Hopefully this means we won't be missing too much when the movie comes out on DVD (or if you see a non-3D version of the movie in theaters). In movies these days it is growing increasingly difficult to determine what is CGI and what is real; this movie will not [visually] disappoint.

Rated PG-13, I didn't notice an excessive use of curse words, but according to IMDB's parents guide (I always check there before showing a movie in the library if the movie is rated anything higher than G if I haven't seen it before - and sometimes if I have) "every scene has at least 2 semi-strong swears". There is only one "mating" scene in the movie, and it is only implied, not shown. When in doubt, get permission slips signed!

If you don't like the storyline of Pocahontas, or are looking for an uplifting movie, you might want to wait until it comes out on DVD. Personally, I got slightly depressed during the movie as the slow realization washed over me that the movie was accurately portraying the evil, greed, arrogance, and disrespect for our surroundings [most] real humans show these days.

Speaking of Pocahontas, yes, she was a Native American. And I am failing to see why some people are making a huge deal about this movie being racist. It seems to me that Cameron and his producers were writing the story based on what they know from history. White men were invading someone else's planet, and the Na'vi were the ones smart enough to know how to treat their own land, yet they were getting forced out because of the human's greed. Sounds pretty historically accurate to me. Would those who are complaining of racism rather the whole movie been whitewashed so that the humans and the Na'vi were white? Because not acknowledging that other races do exist would have been so much less racist... It's not like they were portrayed as the "bad guys", they were the good smart guys.

So, I liked the story and the visuals, and I haven't heard from many who feel differently. I don't understand why it is suddenly everyone's favorite movie, but when it comes out on DVD, Avatar should still be a hit for your library (or home) for teens and adults.

My Rating:

Daily Dose - Weekly Inspiration

I've decided to use the weekly Daily Dose as a way to keep my followers updated on things.

I've made it through another week of school - hooray! This week included a midterm. I didn't get to go to Disney on Valentine's Day - boo! I didn't think it was ever possible for every hotel room in every hotel on site to be booked except around the Christmas holidays, but sure enough, they were. Oh well, we're going for the Braves/Cardinals game on March 21st and I'm trying to set up a day to go with girl friends.

I've got loads of reviews to write for a restaurant (random, I know), books, and a movie; I still have to finish my teen post about the Summer Reading Program workshop; and I still have to write about my crafting experience making ribbon rings. And, of course, make it through school this week (including a paper I have to write).

On to the inspiration!:

 You have to keep your notes somewhere!

Author Feature - Joan Gannij

Similar to my Series Features, I've decided to group reviews together by author or illustrator if I occassionally find a group of children's books [by the same author or illustrator] that I like. If, by chance, I ever get the opportunity to do an author interview, I will also be labeling it as such.

I present to you Joan Gannij, author of Hidden Hippo and Elusive Moose (Claire Beaton does the illustrations for both books):

I originally picked up these books because I liked the covers. Illustrations that are made with foods, fabric, and other nontraditional forms of art tend to get my attention.

It wasn't until I was halfway through Hidden Hippo that I noticed the hidden hippo on the page, and as I went back through the book I realized it was supposed to be similar to a very basic I Spy book. The hippo is easy enough for a child to find, as long as they know they are looking for it.

The moose in Elusive Moose was much easier to find (or maybe it just seemed that way because I knew from the start that I was supposed to be looking for an animal in this one) in my opinion.

Rhyming texts provides for a pleasant short story to go along with the hunt for the hippo; though, I'm not entirely certain I would feel comfortable reading the page with the giraffes aloud (if you pick up a copy of the book, you'll see what I mean). At the end of Hidden Hippo there is a glossary of "Animals of the African Plains" and information about hippos and endangered species. 

Elusive Moose also rhymes, but it is a tad awkward using moose as a plural so many times in a picture book. At the end there is a glossary of "Animals of the Northern Lands", animal tracks, and moose information.

Both books contain animals that most children will probably not be familiar with, so I encourage you to reference the glossary to be able to explain what they are and show a Beaton-style (sewn fabric/felt) illustration.

Amazon recommends both Elusive Moose and Hidden Hippo for ages 4 - 8.

My Rating (for both books):

Please let me know if you know of any books with illustrations similar to Clare Beaton's or Saxton Freymann's.

Daily Dose - Weekly Inspiration

I was able to finish school this week, but not my blog to-do list. This weekend is Valentine's Day so I'm leaving Thursday after work to drive across the state, then up-state to Disney. It should be interesting to see if I can get caught up on my blog and school so early in the week.

The first picture is to get me through the week and the second and third picture are dedicated to love of all kind. Happy Valentine's Day!

Interview with Miss Cindy at Oodles of Books

Just a quick note to say that I'm being featured (a.k.a. I've been "interviewed") today at Miss Cindy's Oodles of Books (formerly Simple Life and Reading)! If you've stumbled across my blog from the interview, welcome! If you're just reading this post because you're one of my own LOVELY followers, maybe you should go check out her blog!

I'm interested in starting a weekly spotlight myself once I get more followers, so if you'd like a chance to be featured, feel free to e-mail me, comment - whatever works for you. I'll keep a list of those interested and start up when I've gotten enough sign-ups.

FLYP Workshop (Kids) - Summer Reading Program 2010

The Florida Library Youth Program (FLYP) has an annual summer reading program workshop in my area. This blog post will be FULL of the ideas they presented there this year. Most, if not all ideas can be found either on the FLYP online database or the Summer Reading Program manual, which we have a copy of. In order to not have a ten page long post, I will be writing two posts - one for kids and one for teens, though most of the ideas are interchangeable. The notes will be further broken down by chapter. If you would like further information about something in this post, feel free to contact me and I will send you what I have.

This year's Summer Reading Program theme (for kids) is Make a Splash!

Chapter 3 - Wow! The Wonders of Water:

The Science of Water -

• Sink or Float - this activity can be two activities in one. First you need to make (or buy) a "stage" for a puppet, and then make (or buy) a puppet. The puppet is a game show host for the game show Sink or Float, which is basically a science experiment where you gather random items and drop them into a tub of water to see if they will sink or float. If you have a large group, it may help to divide the group into two and randomly select team captains who can ask their group whether they think the item will sink or float, but ultimately the team captains have the final say.
• Lumpy Liquids/Squishy Solids - these are science experiments that can by found on the FLYP Wiki but basically any experiment where you turn a liquid into a solid would work for this title.
• Book Suggestion(s): Can it Really Rain Frogs by Spencer Christian and Bathtub Science by Shar Levine

Water Conservation -

• 
  
  How Much Water Matching Game - The SRP Manual has a matching game called "How Much Water", where you must attempt to match how much water is used to certain activities (brushing teeth, flushing toilet, producing a car and its four tires, etc.). If you want the exact worksheet, you can contact me, but this is easily reproducible if you make your own sheet with facts you've looked up.
• 
  
  Book Suggestion(s): Flush by Carl Hiassen

It's Raining -

• 
  
  The Umbrella - There is a draw and tell story called The Umbrella. The exact story can be found in the SRP Manual, but the premise is basic enough that you probably don't need it - A boy (a dot) is stuck inside because his mom won't let him go out in the rain. When it finally stops, he goes outside and up a hill, then down the hill (the top curve of the umbrella), once he gets to the bottom (a dot opposite the first), he starts going home but runs into puddles which he must jump over (forming the mini bottom arches of an umbrella); when he is almost back to the original dot, it starts raining again but luckily the boy has remembered his umbrella (finish connecting to the original dot and add the handle).
• 
  
  Weather Mobile - A basic version of the weather mobile craft presented can be found at Crayola's website, here. The one presented at the workshop had the sun on one side, and a rain cloud (backed with blue paper) on the other. Also, the pieces hanging included suns and clouds instead of just rain.
• 
  
  The Rain Came Down - Read the book The Rain Came Down by David Shannon and let the kids make the noise of the rain by either snapping, clapping, or rubbing their hands together, and make the noises for other parts of the book (i.e. sirens wailing and the ice cream truck - it should be interesting to see the different interpretations of each sound).
• 
  
  Other Book Suggestion(s): It's Raining, It's Pouring by Kin Eagle and Rob Gilbert, Move Over, Rover by Karen Beaumont (similar to Jan Brett's The Mitten), and Just Add Water: Science Projects You Can Sink, Squirt, Splash, Sail. 

Chapter 4 - An Ocean of Fun:

Life's a Beach -

• 
  
  Musical Beach Ball Hot Potato - This game is exactly the same as hot potato except a beach ball is used, and is set to music so that when the music stops, the person holding the beach ball is out.
• 
  
  Crab Walk Relay - A group is divided into teams and compete against each other in a relay race where they must run to a bucket containing soft items (it doesn't really matter what you use - a beanbag would work well). At the bucket, they must pull out an item, balance it on their stomach, and crab walk back to their teammates, where the next person would repeat these actions until the race is complete.
• 
  
  Shell Art - A very simple craft using clean shells (or rocks) - just paint a design on them!
• 
  
  Ocean in a Bottle - Kind of like a terrarium but with water. Find instructions for this craft here.
• 
  
  Sand Art & Sandpaper Art - Those who do not know what sand art is need to stop living under a rock, and sandpaper art was just a suggestion of a different texture to use when creating art - use crayons and color on the rough side of sandpaper. The specific example shown at the workshop was a treasure map - colored on and then cut out and pasted on white paper.
• 
  
  Over in the Ocean - First, get a copy of the book Over in the Ocean by Marianne Berkes. Make copies of the creatures on each page, then hand out the creatures to different children during a storytime. All of the children can help by saying "over in the ocean" and the number of creatures on the page, but those with pictures of the creatures must "swim" up and hand in their picture when their part is read, however they think best goes with the story (i.e. the pufferfish that must "puff" might puff out their cheeks and float up like a balloon).
• 
  
  The Three Little Fish and the Big Bad Shark - Instead of just reading The Three Little Fish and the Big Bad Shark by Ken Geist, if you can get your hands on either fish and shark cut-outs or hats, you may want to let the children act out the book. It's the same premise as The Three Little Pigs, so it shouldn't be difficult even for young children to remember "little fish, little fish, let me come in" or the reply "not by the skin of my finny fin fin" - even those who are not one of the main characters can join in these lines.

Octopus' Garden -

• 
  
  Ship to Shore - This game can be complicated, so you can change the rules depending on your group. Put a sign that says "ship" on one wall of the room you are in (or on a tree if you are outside), and on the opposite wall put up a sign that says "shore". Start out by telling your group that when you say "ship" they must walk towards the sign that says "ship" ("shore" obviously means go towards the "shore" sign), then start adding in the different commands you can find here. The extra commands vary from "hit the deck!" (lay down on your stomach) to "peg leg" (hop on one foot).
• 
  
  I'm Wrestling with an Octopus - If it is possible for you to get a helper, you might consider reading Jack Prelutsky's poem I'm Wrestling with an Octopus (you can find the poem in the book A Pizza the Size of the Sun), with your helper standing behind you doing the motions of the octopus.
• 
  
  Clam Craft - Using a small to-go container, color the container, stick on googly eyes, draw a pearl inside (or use a marble), and voila, you have a clam.
• 
  
  Jellyfish Craft - Turn a bowl upside down and color the bowl. Glue strips of bubble wrap or other plastic (or fabric, if you have nothing else) from the bottom of the bowl to make a jellyfish.
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  Sock-to-pus - Take an old, long sock and stuff beans or rice in the toes. Rubberband (or tie a ribbon) around the beans, then cut the remaining part of the socks into eight strips. Decorate the strips and add eyes to the round part, and you have an octopus. Click here for more detailed directions and a picture.
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  Starfish Craft - I was very unimpressed with this craft. You just take an egg carton and cut the bottom of the cup part into a star shape. After seeing the FLYP Wiki picture, it looks cuter than the one presented. Click here to see it.
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  Fish Mobile - This is the same craft as the Weather Mobile mentioned earlier, only using fish. I have patterns for the fish, if anyone is interested.
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  Coffee Filter Fish - Color a coffee filter with markers, then spray with water. When it dries, wrap the coffee filter around a smaller wad of paper, and rubberband. There should be enough of the coffee filter sticking out of the rubber band to make a fish tail. Add googly eyes, or just draw them on and you have a very tiny fish.
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  Book Suggestion(s): Seashells by the Seashore by Marianne Berkes and Out of the Ocean by Debra Frasier

Chapter 5 - High Seas:

Island Adventure -

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  Pirate Chant - I don't know any way to describe this except as a full body fingerplay. You can find the "fingerplay" in this Vermont library's document here under "Pirates" - "Captain of the Pirates" 
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  Hula Hoop Games - Two possible hula hoop games are to see who can hula the longest, and see who can roll their hoop the farthest (you'll have to get prior attempts out of the way before others can take their turns for this one).
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  Tacky Tourist Relay - Everyone has probably played some version of this relay. Divide a group into teams and they race to one end where a bag of clothes are waiting for them to put on. In this case the clothes were sunglasses, a hat, a lei and a tropical looking shirt, and the bag was a beach bag. This specific version was designed for 5 people on each team, but it can always be modified to include more or less. The first person had to run down, grab one item out of the bag, put it on, run back to their team and put their item on the next person. The second person would then run down to the bag with one item already on, grab another item, and put both items on the third person. The last person would have to be wearing everything and run down and bring the beach bag back.
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  Do Pirates Take Baths? - If your group is old enough to read, you might consider having them use this activitiy to "interview" a pirate. Grab a copy of the book Do Pirates Take Baths by Kathy Tucker. Write or type out the questions found in the book and pass them out to your group, then let them take turns asking you (or someone else dressed as a pirate) the questions, while you find the answers in your handy dandy pirate notebook.
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  Grass Skirt - I'm not entirely sure who the presenters intended this to fit, but if you take a large brown paper bag and either "hem" over the sides or just wrap on several layers of tape, then cut the bottom into strips, you can make [very small] grass skirts.
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  "Flowered" Leis - Using cupcake wrappers, string, and straws, string together the cupcake wrappers back-to-back with straws in between the pairs to keep them seperated. Ta-da, Leis!
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  Pirate Face Craft - This is like a paper doll pirate version of the classic Mr. Potato Head. I have access to the "official" pieces you're welcome to, but I'm sure if you use your imagination and creativity you can come up with one just as good.
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  Pirates Parrot - Very simple - using cardstock (or use regular paper and glue it onto cardboard), print out two pictures of a parrot, then glue them to either side of a clothespin so you can attach the clothespin parrot to the shoulder of your shirt.
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  Pirate Hat - Like the pirate face, I have the original document, but you can probably make one just as good. Take a piece of black posterboard and cut it into the shape of a pirate hat; cut a slit in the hat so that it fits over your head, and add a skull and crossbones.
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  Book Suggestion(s): Edward and the Pirates by David McPhail, The Ballad of the Pirate Queens by Jane Yolen, How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long, Island of the Aunts by Eva Ibbotson, and Pippi in the South Seas by Astrid Lindgren

Recycled Regatta -

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  Knot Tying - Self-explanatory - have a Boy Scout leader, sailor, or anyone familiar with tying knots come in and do a presentation on how to tie some lesser-known knots. Good luck making this one sound fun.
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  Write Your Name in Flag - Use the Nautical Flags found here to write your name or messages in "Flag".  

Chapter 6 - Splish Splash Summer:

Baths, Bubbles & Rubber Ducks -

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  Rubber Duck Balance Tag Game - Teams must make their way from a starting line to a finish line while balancing a rubber duck on their heads. If someone's rubber duck falls off their head, they must freeze. Their teammate must bend down without dropping their duck, retrieve the fallen duck, and put it back on their teammates head. The first team to have all of its members cross the finish line wins. The game can also end if everyone on a team has dropped their duck.
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  No Spill Bubble Blower - Take an old plastic margarine tub and punch a hole (big enough for a straw) in the side towards the top. Punch another hole in the lid. Fill with bubble solution and blow in the straw. Bubbles (should) come out of the hole in the lid.
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  Make Your Own Soap Critters - Use ivory soap to create your own sea-critter shaped soap. Instructions for this project can be found here.
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  Soap Bubble Art - First, cover all tables and floors you will be near. Combine bubble solution and a few drops of tempera paint in a bowl. Stick a straw or a thinner paper towel/toilet paper roll into the solution covering the open end with your hand. When you remove the straw, a film of the colored bubble solution should be visible on the opposite end (just like on a bubble wand coming out of bubble solution). Blow (on the non-paint-covered end, obviously) and spray onto paper for very iteresting art.
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  Paper Plate Rubber Ducky - Take a paper plate and fold it in half; color the plate whatever color you want your duck to be; using construction paper of the same color, cut out a circle for the head and attach it to one (pointed) end; trace and cut out one of your hands twice and attach them to the other end for the tail "feathers".
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  Wash Cloth Fish - For this craft you will need ribbon, a washcloth, and a bar of soap. Like the coffee filter fish mentioned earlier, wrap the washcloth around the soap and tie with the ribbon. You should now have a fish shape. If you want kids to be able to use the soap in the bathtub, limit the decorations you put on the fish. Gluing on sequins, as was shown to us at the workshop, would make the washcloth scratchy and uncomfortable to use.
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  Another Coffee Filter Fish - This coffee filter fish is two crafts in one. Using a large coffee filter, cut out the shape of a fish. Place the coffee filter on a paper plate and color with markers, then spray with water. When the coffee filter and plate dry, you can remove the coffee filter and an imprint of the fish's design will be left on the paper plate. You can then use the coffee filter to glue onto a blue piece of construction paper and decorate an aquarium scene.

Marvelous Manatees -

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  Scar Charts - Sadly, manatees are identified by their scars. If you can get an outline of a manatee printed out for your group, you can show them pictures of manatees who have scars, and they can try to draw the scars on the manatee outline.
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  Talk Like a Manatee Obstacle Course - This race requires teams of two - one person will be blindfolded. The teammate not blindfolded must guide the blindfolded teammate around cones or other obstacles using sounds they come up with before the race. Each team should come up with four different sounds (forward, left, right, back) and they cannot be words. It should be very interesting to hear all of the different sounds. Non-blindfolded teammates can walk next to their blindfolded partner, but may not touch them. First team over the finish line is the winner.
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  Manatee Bag Puppet - Make a paper bag puppet with a paper bag and the pieces found here.
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  Manatee Sock Critter - Stuff a long gray sock with beans, rice, or another filler. Rubberband the sock towards the toe for a head, and towards the end for the tail (look at a picture of a manatee for further inspiration). Draw a face, and using gray construction paper cut out and glue manatees fins/"arms" to the side.
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  Book Suggestion(s): I'm a Manatee by John Lithgow

Chapter 7 - Squish Squash:

Frogs & Turtles -

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  The Biggest Frog in Australia - A creative way of telling the story The Biggest Frog in Australia by Susan Roth is to get a helper (or just have a good set of lungs) to blow up a red balloon as the frog drinks all the water, then release the balloon when the frog laughs it all out.

Alligators in the Everglades -

Mama Don't Allow - Tell the story Mama Don't Allow by Thacher Hurd (with or without the book) and let the children make the motions and sounds of the different instruments.

Review (Audiobook) - A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

"Gemma Doyle isn't like other girls. Girls with impeccable manners, who speak when spoken to, who remember their station, who dance with grace, and whil will lie back and think of England when it's required of them.

No, sixteen-year-old Gemma is an island unto herself, sent to the Spence Academy in London after tragedy strikes her family in India. Lonely, guilt-ridden, and prone to visions of the future that have an uncomfortable habit of coming true, Gemma finds her reception a chilly one. She's not completely alone, though...she's been followed by a mysterious young man, sent to warn her to close her mind against the visions.

For it's at Spence that Gemma's power to attract the supernatural unfolds; there she becomes entangled with the school's most powerful girls and discovers her mother's connection to a shadowy, timeless group called the Order. It's there that her destiny waits...if only Gemma can believe in it." (back cover)

My first (completed) teen book of 2010 - woohoo!

Years ago something compelled me to pick up a copy of this book at Target. I brought the book home and it has been sitting, unopened, on a shelf since then. When I found the audiobook at our library I figured I'd give it a shot.

I'm going to break my own rule and write a bit first about the actual story and not just comments on the narrator:

The book was fairly predictable, but that certainly didn't make it bad. I really did like the story (I'm already on disc 3 of the sequel), but there were some things I wasn't too sure about. The book seemed to borrow a lot from many other books I'm familiar with. This may not be a bad thing - maybe Libba Bray's ability to bring parts of different books together was what made this such a great story - but it was definitely noticeable. For instance, there is magic at a boarding school with a Great Hall (Harry Potter), and short bits about faeries depicted as more of a Spiderwick creature rather than Tinkerbell. Girls playing with magic wind up seeing their hair fall out and get boils (in case you're familiar with the movie The Craft), and you can't forget the mentioning of the Rakshana being members of the Knights Templar (in common with The DaVinci Code). Most noticeable (to me) though, was the quote "the woods are not safe here; there are spies everywhere." Sounds an awful lot like Mr. Beaver (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe) to me...

But I digress. On to the narrator! I loved her! Josephine Bailey is so talented I can remember her name without looking it up (and that's impressive for someone with a memory like mine). I have never heard a narrator with such amazing accents for all of her different characters. I was delightfully surprised that listening to this book on CD didn't feel like I was listening to War and Peace, or some other Old English book.

This audiobook can evoke strange emotions from its listeners - actually hearing some of the magical adventures in the book made me feel like I was getting a verbal account of someone's acid trip experience. If you don't know what the expression "thinking of England" means, be prepared to learn. Those who are easily embarassed may find themselves blushing while listening to this book. I wouldn't consider myself easily embarassed, but it was kind of awkward listening to Bray's description of an innocent girl "being touched in unexplored places". For me, I think reading this would have been a little more...comfortable?

This book was easy to get into before the end of the first CD (unlike The Host). I think this is partially because of the great job Bailey did narrating. Even if England in the 1800s isn't your cup of tea, I would recommend at least giving this book a chance.

Amazon lists this as a Young Adult book. I would take into account the "witchcraft" and mildly "sexual" aspects of the book, though, and be careful to either recommend the book to older teens or give the parents a heads up. The audiobook ends with a mini interview-of-sorts (more like an autobiographical monologue) with [quirky] Libba Bray.

My Rating: