Where the Wild Things Are

   

     Where the Wild Things Are is for many a picture book that brings back many fond childhood memories. Maurice Sendak is a wonderfully talented author and illustrator who has written and illustrated many wonderful children's books.
These illustrations transport the reader from Max's room to the forest of the Wild Things. The reader can almost see the illustrator's hands making the lines of the hairs on Max's wolf suit and the threads of the rug. On many of the pages the illustrations are framed with white, distinctly separating them from the text. In these ways this memorable picture book beautifully meets the illustration criteria.
     In this story we meet an, lets say, energetic young boy who is not too happy with being made to go to his room. Our young boy, Max, is wearing his favorite wolf suit, and it seems to cause him to act like a wild monster. In fact, his mother calls him "wild thing" in the book.
     Once he is sent to his room some strange things begin to happen. The reader, and Max, are transported to another world where wild things run amuck. The reader watches as Max is crowned their king and the monsters and he have a glorious time. What will now happen to Max? Is he to forever live amongst the wild things in this seemingly enchanted forrest? Read this glorious picture book to find out!

References

Amazon: Where the wild things are. Retrieved August 29, 2015, from http://www.amazon.com/Where-Wild-Things-Maurice-Sendak/dp/0064431789/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1440895279&sr=1-1&keywords=where+the+wild+things+are

Sendak, M. (1984). Where the wild things are Harper Collins.

*First reference is for the cover art.

See you soon!

-Naomi Emory

Gregor the Overlander

 

     Welcome beloved readers! I am so very happy that you are here, reading my review of Gregor the Overlander! This book is one of my favorite chapter books of all time. This is the first installment of a five book series. The author, Suzanne Collins, may be better known to readers for her work on the Hunger Games Series.
     The book opens with young Gregor, who at the beginning of the book is a normal young man who has become the man of the household. Recently Gregor's father disappeared, other people in Gregor's life say that his father just ran away, however, Gregor and his family believe that something has happened to Gregor's father. One afternoon Gregor and his youngest sister, nicknamed Boots, are in the basement laundry room of their apartment building.
     While doing the family laundry, Gregor looses track of Boots. He finds her just as she falls into a grate in the wall. Shock-filled Gregor races to the grate and shortly follows his sister. In the world they fall into they discover people with near transparent skin and purple eyes, human sized rats, cockroaches, spiders, bats, and more. Gregor and Boots soon learn that they are trapped in the "Underland" and are mentioned in a prophecy that details they must travel on a quest with the Underlanders as well as representatives of the various Underland creatures.
This well known author creatively weaves this tale of a young boy and his sister. The characters are amazing and very relatable. The reader can easily identify with these characters who have recently been "abandoned" by their father and are plunged into a world unknown. This author, like in many of her other books, has a talent to create a special style within each of the books. In this story she creates a special style of language between each of the species that live underground as well as customs and history for each of these subgroups. This well written story with its special style and characters will beep a hold of readers to the very end.
     What will Gregor find? What will he learn about himself and his family? Will he and Boots make it out alive and safe? Read this wonderful story to find out!!

References

Collins, S. (2004). Gregor the overlander. Broadway, New York: Scholastic Press.

Kateoflibraryland. (2014). Win loose or draw: Gregor the overlander. Retrieved August 29, 2015, from http://infopeake.org/blog/?p=5229

*Second reference is for the cover art.

See you soon!

-Naomi Emory, The Bookish Educator

Welcome to My Blog! 
I will be posting various books that I am reading. In each post I will review the book, post a picture of the cover of the book, and sometimes I will include a trailer or book talk! I hope that you will return soon to see what books I am reading!