Sunday, June 10, 2012

Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins



Gregor the Overlander (Underland Chronicles, #1)
Title: Gregor the Overlander
Author: Suzanne Collins
Genre: Junior Fiction
Rating: 5


I’ll admit, I picked this book up because after reading The Hunger Games trilogy a couple of years ago I wanted to see what else Suzanne Collins could do.  I  had a hard to believing she could tame down her writing enough so that younger kids could comprehend it and not be scared out of their wits.  I was sooo impressed with this book and how well written it is for the intended age group, and cannot wait to read the rest in this series.  I will definitely start recommending this series to more kids looking for adventure novels or something “fun”.

Gregor, a poor, responsible young boy has recently lost his father and starts taking on the tasks of being the "man" of the house.  He does his chores and passes up going to summer camp to take care of his two-year-old sister Boots, and his aging grandma.

However, his summer soon takes a turn when he runs to chase Boots down a vent in the laundry room...and is transported to the "Underland".  Once in the Underland, Gregor faces many difficult choices and challenges thrown his way.  Giant evil rats, huge bats, enormous cockroaches and a strange looking race of humans greet Gregor and Boots in the Underland.  Plus a mysterious prophecy and a whisper of his father leave Gregor confused and shaken, can he overcome all of this?

Gregor the Overlander snuck in so many life lessons, kids reading this book won't even know they are learning to become better people, and adults will be reminded of the people they should try to be every day.  Kindness, forvgiveness, equality, and the ability to hope are repeated throughout this novel making it a fun and exciting adventure with depth.  The reader will find themselves thinking about the story after they have finished reading it, looking at life a little bit differently.
"Even if times got bad, he would never again deny himself the possibility that the future might be happy even if the present was painful. He would allow himself dreams."

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
Title: Wonderstruck
Author: Brian Selznick
Genre: Junior Fiction
Rating: 5
After waking up at 2am with far too much on mind (Summer Reading Program, new house, impending wedding, etc.) I picked up Wonderstruck and did not go back to sleep until 4am (oops!), but that's how all consuming this book is.  It is an amazing read!  I am a solidified fan of Brian Selznick now. The Invention of Hugo Cabret is absolutely amazing too.

Review:
A young boy's journey through loss, tragedy, difficult changes, and ultimately the discovery of a lifetime. Ben loses his mother and must live with his aunt, uncle, and cousins. Then he faces another major set back when he tries to discover more about his father who he has never met. Ben sets off on the adventure of his lifetime to meet his father, and although the journey and outcome aren't exactly what he expects the results are astounding and change his life forever.

Along with Ben's journey, the story of a young deaf girl named Rose is also told mainly through pictures. The two stories interweave and mesh together perfectly adding an extra element to the book.

The story is masterfully told through not only carefully chosen words, but perfectly suited pictures. This was an awesome novel which people of all ages will enjoy and re-read just to see if they missed anything the first time.

"Ben wished the world was organized by the Dewey decimal system. That way you'd be able to find whatever you were looking for..."