Posts tagged book review

At Home: A Short History of Private Life, by Bill Bryson.  Nonfiction.

Have you ever wondered why we design houses the way we do?  Or how flush toilets came to be?  Or where the phrase “room and board” originated?  How about the architectural designs behind Mount Vernon and Monticello?  Or the bathing and grooming habits of the 18th century aristocracy?  How we used to manage the pests and vermin that tried to share our spaces with us?

Bill Bryson takes readers on a sprawling history of the development of domestic life, leading us through one room at a time.  The basis of his work is his own home, a former English rectory, and he merrily jumps into British and American history to show what goes into houses as we now know them.  What results is a fascinating hodge podge of social and architectural history that jumps all over the place at a lickety-split pace.  You’ll never look at your house the same way again!

I’ve been on a big Bill Bryson kick this year, and At Home has been a really enjoyable read (or listen, I should say, since I enjoyed the audiobook on my commute).

Drama, by Raina Telgemeier.  Children’s Graphic Novel.

Middle schooler Callie lives and breathes theatre, and she’s super stoked to be the set designer for her school’s production of the Civil War-era musical Moon Over Mississippi.  Her big shiny ambition: create a cannon that can really explode onstage!

Raina Telgemeier brings the sweet and funny in this middle grade graphic novel, and it does not disappoint.  As the title suggests, of course, there will be drama afoot.  Lots and lots of drama revolving around friendships and crushes and homework and ticket sales and lead performers.  Callie and her pals Jesse and Justin (twins extraordinaire) certainly have their hands full in the midst of the big production!  How will they pull it all off in time to take their final bows?

This book made the drama geek in me giggle with glee—so much of it reminded me of my own backstage days!  Telgemeier’s illustration style is really colorful and appealing, and those who liked her debut Smile will probably eat this one up too.

We Are in a Book!, by Mo Willems.  Children’s Picture Book.

What would you do if you found out that you were (GASP!) a character in a book?  Would you try to make your readers say funny words out loud?  Would you worry about what would happen to you once the book ended?

That’s just the dilemma that Gerald and Piggie find themselves in in Mo Willems’s ingenious We Are in a Book!  Part of the Elephant and Piggie series, We Are in a Book! is hilarious and meta and colorful and silly.  Better still—it’s filled with nice big sight words that early readers will be able to sound out.  Willems was formerly a writer and artist for Sesame Street, and he really knows his audience well.  He is also the winner of two Caldecott Honors and two Geisel Medals for his work in picture books.

This book (and the others in the series) is one of my go-to recommendations for young readers at the library.  I love how interactive the story is, which makes it great to read out loud, and the humor is good off-the-wall fun that kids and parents will both likely appreciate.  Do yourself a favor and check this one out, even if you’re a grown-up!

Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street, by Michael Davis

We all loved the Muppets when we were kids, but I don’t think that I ever grew out of that.  To that end, I was very excited to discover Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street.  Michael Davis’s account feels very comprehensive, documenting every step that led to Sesame Street’s creation.

As a child, I of course didn’t realize how revolutionary this show really was.  In short, Sesame Street was the great answer to a question posed by a psychologist at a dinner party: “Do you think television could be used to teach small children?”  At the time of the show’s inception, it broke ground in the arenas of social equality, tolerance, and education as it worked to create an equal playing field for children of all different backgrounds and social classes.

The book, though dense with source material, is an enjoyable and enlightening read that focuses on every aspect of the show, from the developers to the producers to the tech crew to the actors to the Muppeteers to the writers to the musicians to the audiences.  I liked the sections about the Muppets the very best, predictably, but I was never bored with any of the others either.

Street Gang gives me a newfound appreciation for the genius that is Sesame Street (though it made me sad about Jim Henson’s death all over again!) and it would be a good read for any fans of modern television, education, or pop culture.

Eleanor and Park, by Rainbow Rowell

Omaha.  1986.  Eleanor is a too-big redheaded misfit who just moved back in with her mom’s family (evil stepfather included, naturally).  Park is a shy half-Korean boy living in the shadow of his macho father and brother.  At first meeting, the two polar-opposite teens seemed destined to hate each other.

As time goes by, however, Eleanor and Park begin to forge a bond (as we knew they would!).  Over comic books and punk music mix tapes, a rich and utterly believable romance blossoms between the two, whose points of view we are treated to in alternating chapters.

I loved Eleanor and Park in equal measure, finding them to be complex and interesting and complicated and maddening and sweet.  Their love story is hard-earned, and its road is certainly not paved with roses and candles.  For every ounce of sweetness, there’s a school bully or an abusive stepfather or a disapproving mother to contend with.

Eleanor and Park is a fresh and highly readable tale of first love, and it comes highly recommended from me (and not just to young adults, either!).