Landon knows that he would perfect for the football team. His size alone would make him a great lineman, but one thing holds him back. He's deaf. With help from his friends and a few famous football players, Landon just might make the team and persevere. I love a good comeback story. I'm a sucker for true stories about real athletes who beat the odds, Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand or the movies, Cinderella Man or Invincible. Tim Green's book is one of those. He also gives you a glimpse into what it might be like for someone who was deaf and wanted to play football. Green mentions two of his book fans who were deaf that he mirrored after Landon. What makes me even more of a fan of Tim Green is he calls reading "weightlighting for the brain." It not only makes you a better student but a "better, kinder" person.
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Molly knows her purpose as a dog is to take care of her girl, CJ. However, CJ's mother doesn't want a dog around, and CJ has to hide Molly to keep her from being found. How can Molly keep her girl safe when she isn't even allowed to be around? I had heard some great things about A Dog's Purpose and similar stories, but this was not my favorite. The characters, even Molly the dog, seem a little flat. The mother is also not the best of characters, and I dislike books where the parents do not care about their children. This is from the Embassy Row series, and you will want to read All Fall Down before reading this review or the book. Grace found out who killed her mother, but the truth did not solve her problems. The truth only made them worse. Her brother, Jamie, comes to visit her after everything else comes to light, and he brings one of his friends from West Point. However, an unlikely accident happens, and Grace doesn't know who to trust or who may still be trying to kill her. It's been a while since I finished this book, so I don't remember all the details. What I do remember is enjoying the fast pace, the twists in the plot line, and the secret that shocked me at the end just like the first book. If you think you know why all this is happening to Grace, you may just be surprised by the ending. I thoroughly enjoy a good surprise. This is the final book in the Origami Yoda series. The kids at McQuarrie Middle School have finished their testing, and they are now ready for their amazing trip to Washington, D.C. It would seem that there would be no need for Origami Yoda, but there are serious problems that can arise from a field trip. The most serious of them all is being on the wrong bus. Your bus can determine a lot of things: your friends, your chaperones, and even your bathroom habits. Having been on several school field trips, it was a déjà vu experience to read. We didn't have puppets on the trip, but everything else was there. Angleberger has a knack for writing about a school bus trip and making it entertaining. I'm sorry to see the Origami Yoda series end, but he did a nice send off, and all the characters were able to finish up their character arcs even Dwight and Harvey. You will want to read the others in the series before reading this review. The first one is Origami Yoda. With their talk to Principal Rabbinski, the kids at McQuarrie Middle School were sure their time with FunTime and its annoying review questions would soon come to an end. However, nothing has changed. The Origami Rebel Alliance has had enough. They want their electives back! They want their field trip back! They want their frozen steak back! Will they finally be able to change the hearts and minds of the school board? This book is really the second half of The Suprise Attack of Jabba the Puppett. The kids face the same enemy, and they have the same major problem. However, now they have a new hero. Princess Labelmaker has taken the latest Origami Yoda case file and given it to Principal Rabbiski with labels. I enjoyed the labelmaker once I got used to the new format, and the ending was pure Star Wars fun. So if you enjoyed the other Origami Yoda books, you should check this one out as well. Also I wanted to mentioned that the author, Tom Angleberger, has posted a tribute to Carrie Fisher who passed away recently. She was the actor who portrayed Princess Leia in the Star Wars movies. If you want to read it, the link is below. Carrie Fisher Tribute This is a series book. The first one is Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger You would think after defeating Darth Paper and bringing Dwight back everything would be just fine. Of course not. Everyone knew when they saw the posters for "FunTime" that something fishy was going on. Yes, FunTime may have a dance and a singing calculator, but don't let that fool you. Yes, test anxiety is a real thing, and yes, even teachers and principals have it. However, I am not opposed to poking fun at even some serious subjects. The students came up with some interesting ideas on how to combat FunTime. It's been a while since I read Fortune Wookiee so I was afraid I would be lost, but I was able to pick it up pretty quickly. Angleberger still uses his dry Star Wars humor to make you laugh. Watch out for Jabba the Hutt. When he came into the story, I laughed out loud while reading. Donovan Curtis knows a few things from ancestry.com. His family were adventurers, even survivors. But will he survive a major catastrophe that destroys the school and then sends him into the gifted program? Donovan know he's not gifted, but can he fool everyone else? Gordon Korman has comedic timing down to an art. I love a book that makes you laugh while reading it and then look around and realize there might be other people listening in. The characters are so realistic, and the situations they find themselves in seem ridiculous but also true to life. This is definitely one to smile about as you are reading, and it's going down as a favorite for me. Amber Appleton is the queen of eternal optimism. She singlehandedly brings joy to Frank's Five, the KDFCs, a retirement home, and occasionally Private Jackson. Her optimism is in direct contrast to her home life. Amber and her mother are homeless and sleeping in a school bus. But even this does not bring Amber down. When Amber faces a tragedy unlike anything she has ever encountered, even her eternal optimism falters, and she doubts everything she has put her faith in. Amber Appleton is one of those plucky girls you just can't help but love. Quick draws his characters extremely well, and you feel like you know them and could strike up a conversation with them if you met them on the street. Lots of great humor as well. My only two problems were language and Amber's theology. If you can look past the language, it's a great, sweet, funny read. (I listened to this book on audio CD.) |
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June 2021
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