Bud, Not Buddy: Christopher Paul Curtis

This is yet another of the books I had to read for my Children's Literature class. My younger cousin had to read it last year for her fifth-grade class and she kept telling me how much she hated it. Naturally, this made me not look forward to reading it.

As I read it, however, I kept waiting for it to get "awful", but it never really did. I actually kind of enjoyed it! The writing was brilliant and it really made me feel as if I was inside the mind of Bud. The descriptions were well-done and did a great job of sucking me into the time period. Bud, himself, was interesting and you couldn't help but root for the little lonely, driven boy. His story is sad while remaining hopeful. It was obviously a story from the heart and that is what really made it enjoyable for me to read. Though my cousin disliked it (why, exactly, she couldn't ever explain to me), I still recommend this book for the fifth-sixth-grade age group because this is a book where fiction and reality blend together to make for a pleasant read.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer: Mark Twain

"Tom Sawyer is Mark Twain's hymn to the secure and fantastic world of boyhood and adventure. From the famous episodes of the whitewashed fence and the ordeal in the cave to the trial of Injun Joe, the story is redolent of life in the Mississippi River towns which Twain spent his own youth. A somber undercurrent flows through the high humor and unabashed nostalgia of the novel, however, for beneath the innocence of childhood lie the inequities of adult reality--base emotions and superstitions, murder and revenge, starvation and slavery."

I read Huckleberry Finn back in my Junior year of high school and Mark Twain's writing is just as I remember it. His satire can be interesting, but his novels (at least to me, personally) are like pulling teeth to read. I genuinely didn't care for this book. There's just so much unnecessary information in it that it became not fun to read at all. One prime example of this was the scene where the students are making their end of the year presentations. What person--let alone a child--wants to read word-for-word what the students recited? It drove me crazy! I really do want to like Twain. His writings are classics. However, I just cannot seem to get into any of it. To be brutally honest, he--along with several other choice authors--is the reason that I decided not to teach American literature. Sure there are a couple eloquent lines, but Twain's novels are really not my cup of tea. Sorry to all of the Twain fanatics out there.

James and the Giant Peach: Roald Dahl

"A little magic can take you a long way...

"When James accidentally drops some magic crystals by the old peach tree, strange things start happening. The peach at the very top of the tree starts growing, and growing, and growing...until it's as big as a house! When James crawls inside, he meets a houseful of oversized friends--Grasshopper, Centipede, Earthworm, and more. With a snip of the stem, the peach starts rolling away, and the adventure begins!"

This was another film adaptation that I loved when I was growing up. There was just something about the whimsy and wonder that comes with a giant peach and enormous friendly bugs that made for an awesome movie. Around the same time, I read my favorite Dahl book--The BFG (which I fully plan on re-reading now). So, Dahl made a huge impact on the kids in my class because he was so out there and fun. You just weren't considered "well read" in my elementary school until you'd read some of his books.

It took me a while, but I finally got to read this book! It was very good: short but it made an impact. I'm actually reading it with my younger cousin and she adores it. Like I said, there's just something about Dahl that transcends the decades and connects with children of all ages :)

The Secret Garden: Frances Hodgson Burnett

"Unlock the Magic of the Secret Garden

"When orphaned Mary Lennox, lonely and sad, comes to live at her uncle's great house on the Yorkshire moors, she finds it full of secrets. At night, she hears the sound of crying down one of the long corridors. Outside, she meets Dickon, a magical boy who can charm and talk to animals. Then, one day, with the help of a friendly robin, Mary discovers the most mysterious wonder of all--a secret garden, walled and locked, which had been completely forgotten for years and years. Is everything in the garden dead, or can Mary bring it back to life?"

Growing up, the film adaptation of this classic book was one of my absolute favorites. I had tried picking the original book up over the years, but it didn't grab me immediately and I never got more than a few chapters into it. Now, however, I am enrolled in a Children's Literature class and this book was on our extensive reading list. It was the first one I finished and I must say that I enjoyed it.

Though it was not as good as I remember the movie being (which is usually the case when you go back to read things that were wonderful and mystifying back in childhood), it was decent nonetheless. The characters were still fascinating--especially Dickon--and I believe it was worth the read.

I've heard pretty mixed reviews from other readers about this book. Some were completely repelled by it, while others enjoyed it. I'm a little bit on the fence, but leaning a little more toward enjoying it. It was a bit long-winded at points and I can't imagine a child picking up this book and finishing it on her own; but the film adaptation will always remain near and dear to my heart.

The Last Olympian (Book Five, Percy Jackson and the Olympians): Rick Riordan

"All year the half-bloods have been preparing for battle against the Titans, knowing the odds of victory are grim. Kronos's army is stronger than ever, and with every god and half-blood he recruits, the evil Titan's power only grows.

"While the Olympians struggle to contain the rampaging monster Typhon, Kronos begins his advance on New York City, where Mount Olympus stands virtually unguarded. Now it's up to Percy Jackson and an army of young demigods to stop the Lord of Time.

"In this momentous final book in the New York Time's best-selling series, the long-awaited prophecy surrounding Percy's sixteenth birthday unfolds. And as the battle for Western civilization rages on the streets of Manhattan, Percy faces a terrifying suspicion that he may be fighting against his own fate."

Today, I realized why, exactly, it took me forever to finish reading this book: I didn't want it to end! It was excellent--as all of the other books in this series were. It was fast-paced and riddled with wit. I loved it! It really stayed true to the series and I was so happy that Riordan's writing remained consistently excellent. I never lost the love that I began to feel for Percy, Annabeth, and the other characters from book one. This is such a wonderful quality of Riordan's books that totally make them worth reading at ANY age--no matter your background.

This was a beautifully descriptive finale to this series. I don't think it could have ended any differently and still stayed true to the magic that Riordan wove with Percy's first encounter with a Fury. I HIGHLY recommend this book and--though I am terribly sad that this series is over--I REALLY am looking forward to the next series in Riordan's Camp Half-Blood series!!! Coming in October of this year! Yay!

Educating Caroline: Patricia Cabot (Meg Cabot)

"Lady Caroline Linford is horrified to discover...

"her fiance, the Marquis of Winchelsea, in the arms of another woman. Unfortunately, Victorian society considers such masculine peccadilloes a trifle; canceling their imminent wedding would be unthinkable. But Caroline's wish is for the man she is to marry to desire only her...and she seeks lessons in the art of romance from the best teacher: London's most notorious rake.

"Braden Granville may be a famous lover...

"but he has no intention of taking part in Caroline's scheme--until he learns she has something he wants: the name of his own unfaithful fiancee's lover. As their passionate tutelage begins, sparks fly--and the lines between teacher and student fall away. Now there is just one last lesson to learn: on the subject of true love, the heart chooses its own unpredictable ways."

I think it's pretty awesome that the woman who wrote the Princess Diaries has switched over to writing for a more adult audience. She took her talent and wit, wrapped it up in a bit of maturity, and came up with this book.

I really enjoyed it! The plot was complex and nicely interwoven. Writing something like this took a lot of planning and I can appreciate that. The characters were wonderful and their situations really were unique. So often are characters and bits of plots recycled that they all seem to blend together; but not with Cabot's writing. She's fun and brilliant in her ability to write memorable characters that stand out.

Though this book took me awhile to finish, it really was worth every page. However, I now remember why I never got through her Princess Diaries books: the sentences tend to be long and drawn out. Now that I'm older, I can appreciate what the author is including in her sentences--all of the structure and word choices which actually made my reading experience extremely enjoyable. It definitely takes some getting used to, but it's well worth it.

I really liked this book and look forward to reading more by this author!

The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book Four): Rick Riordan

"Percy Jackson isn't expecting freshman orientation to be any fun. But when a mysterious mortal acquaintance appears on campus, followed by demon cheerleaders, things quickly move from bad to worse.

"In this fourth installment of the blockbuster series, time is running out as war between the Olympians and the evil Titan lord Kronos draws near. Even the safe haven of Camp Half-Blood grows more vulnerable by the minute as Kronos's army prepares to invade its once impenetrable borders. To stop the invasion, Percy and his demigod friends must set out on a quest through the Labyrinth--a sprawling underground world with stunning surprises at every turn."

Yay! I finished book number four! This one was just as good as the others. Obviously, the characters are becoming more and more complex as they grow up, but they're still the familiar faces I've come to love. The new twists and turns that Riordan has incorporated into his wonderful world of demigods and monsters really kept me fascinated. I really enjoyed this book and it was a very fun read.

I couldn't help but feel bad for Percy and all of the difficult decisions he had to choose from. His life has become all the more complicated when girls are thrown in the mix. Jealousy and attitude plagues these young warriors as they try to complete their mission--and poor Percy has no idea why the girls fight over him...typical oblivious guy. I found myself laughing aloud so many times! It was great! (Though I won't say who I'm rooting for...I'll leave that judgement out until you read it for yourselves. Maybe when I'm done with the series, I'll let you know what my feelings are.)

Anyway, as I said earlier, I love the characters. They've really become like "friends". The way Riordan writes, they have their unique personalities; but he manages to remain true to them throughout all of the books. I love this about the writing. Something else that was neat was that the descriptions of the labyrinth reminded me of the movie "Labyrinth", which I highly recommend checking out!

Though there were a few minor errors (i.e. "Mrs. O'Leary was called "she" and then used "his" in the possessive form when talking about her owner...if that makes any sense...), this doesn't detract from the story. I really enjoyed it and look forward to the next book!!!