Archive for the ‘Reading level’ Category
Monday, March 13th, 2006
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| Author: | Anita Diamant |
| Reading Level (Conceptual): | For grown-ups
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| Reading Level (Vocabulary): | For grown-ups
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| Genre: | fiction, historical |
| Year of publication: | 1997 |
Riff on life of biblical woman, Dinah |
A passage in the book of Genesis refers to Dinah, the only daughter of Joseph. Dinah's brothers "avenged" her by killing her husband and all his men.
Diamant's novel gives voice to Dinah, who is granted only this one passage in the Bible. In so doing, Diamant muses on the way the roles of women changed as Abraham's descendants' allegiance to the single God, El, became stronger.
Contrasts in an interesting way with The King Must Die, which also describes a transition from a culture where women were acknowledged to possess some divinity to one in which male deities were ascendent.
-- Emily Berk |
If you found this review helpful and/or interesting, consider supporting our book habit: Buy this book!: Red Tent, The |
Posted in Conceptual: for grown ups, Female protagonist, Fiction, History, Reading level: Sophisticated reader | Comments Closed
Monday, March 13th, 2006
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| Author: | Zilpha Keatly Snyder |
| Reading Level (Conceptual): | Children 8 and up |
| Reading Level (Vocabulary): | Children 8 and up |
| Genre: | fiction |
| Year of publication: | 1991 |
Working class fairy tale |
Boy in trouble meets gifted gargoyle and together they quest to find the boy's heritage, father, and place in the world.
As with other books by Zilpha Keatley Snyder, it's hard to differentiate between magic and reality here.
This book contrasts interestingly with Adam of the Road, in which the quest is just as desperate, but the boy must make his way on his own.
-- Emily Berk |
If you found this review helpful and/or interesting, consider supporting our book habit: Buy this book!: Song of the Gargoyle |
Posted in Conceptual: 8 and up, Dragons and/or mythological beasts, Fairy tales, Fiction, Reading level: age 8 and up | Comments Closed
Monday, March 13th, 2006
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| Author: | T.H. White |
| Illustrator: | Dennis Nolan |
| Reading Level (Conceptual): | Children 12 and up |
| Reading Level (Vocabulary): | Children 8 and up |
| Genre: | fiction, King Arthur |
| Year of publication: | 1938 |
Lovely anachronism-rich story of the childhood of King Arthur. |
My daughter recommends this version because of the gorgeous illustrations by Dennis Nolan
After the first appearance of an anachronism -- is it the mention of "Red Indians" near page 5?, my daughter leapt upon other chronological inconsistencies. And, well, those last words -- daughter just roared with amusement. Any version of this book is recommended, but if you can, try to find this one and take a look at page 96, "'I could be a hawk in Hob's mews,' said the Wart stoutly." Soooo cute |
| Similar books |
If you found this review helpful and/or interesting, consider supporting our book habit: Buy this book!: Sword in the Stone, The |
Posted in Conceptual: 8 and up, Conceptual: age 12 and up, Dragons and/or mythological beasts, Fairy tales, Fiction, History, Homeschool, Reading level: age 8 and up | Comments Closed
Monday, February 27th, 2006
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| Author: | Mark Costello |
| Reading Level (Conceptual): | For grown-ups
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| Reading Level (Vocabulary): | For grown-ups
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| Genre: | Fiction |
| Year of publication: | 2003 |
Authors of novels like to think that they create civilizations using words alone. And so do computer programmers.
In The Big If, secret service people guarding the Vice President of the United States do the same. Could it be that everyone does this to survive. (Except maybe not everyone is self-aware enough to know they are doing it.) |
The recursion is dizzying. This involving novel draws us in to all three worlds:
- The video game eco-system being developed by a computer software company
- The terrifying and possibly self-igniting "scenarios" that a team of government security agents must build in order to do their jobs.
- The world of real estate agents, families, politicians, insurance adjusters, a world built of words that is surprising in its realism.
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If you found this review helpful and/or interesting, consider supporting our book habit: Buy this book!: Big If, The |
Posted in Computers in society, Conceptual: for grown ups, Fiction, Gifted, History, Reading level: Grown up | Comments Closed
Monday, October 17th, 2005
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| Author: | Paul Hoffman |
| Reading Level (Conceptual): | Sophisticated readers |
| Reading Level (Vocabulary): | Children 12 and up |
| Genre: | Non-fiction, biography |
| Year of publication: | 1998 |
Biography of the brilliant mathematician, Paul Erdos. Inspiring because this extremely odd guy, who spoke in code and could not perform the normal functions most other human beings usually have to do (such as pay bills and cash checks), found ways to mentor promising young mathematicians and revolutionize mathematical thinking. |
| Similar books |
If you found this review helpful and/or interesting, consider supporting our book habit: Buy this book!: Man Who Loved Only Numbers, The : The Story of Paul Erdos and the Search for Mathematical Truth |
Posted in Biography, Child-raising, Computers in society, Conceptual: age 12 and up, Culture, History, Math, Parenting gifted children, Reading level: age 12 and up, Science | Comments Closed
Saturday, August 20th, 2005
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| Author: | Cynthia Voigt |
| Reading Level (Conceptual): | Children 12 and up |
| Reading Level (Vocabulary): | Children 8 and up |
| Genre: | fiction |
| Year of publication: | 1988 |
A gloomy book about the effects of war and weather on real bodies and minds. And about how a child can come to feel responsible for the acts of man and nature. |
My ten year old found it compelling, but depressing. Without an understanding of the hideous weapons used during World War I, the descriptions of the injuries were difficult to understand. (Not that I'd have wanted them to be graphic.)
A child might take the moral of this scary fairy tale to be "Be very careful what you wish. Very careful." And, yes, I approve of that message as it's presented in Into the Woods. "Be careful the wish you make. Wishes come true. Not free."
And I do think it's good for all people to think through the full ramifications of their actions and their wishes. And through the main character, the book does help us to think about how to formulate effective, clear, less dangerous wishes.
But do we want our children to worry that their possibly less-than-perfect wishes will come true? |
If you found this review helpful and/or interesting, consider supporting our book habit: Buy this book!: Tree By Leaf |
Posted in Conceptual: age 12 and up, Culture, Death is a central theme, Female protagonist, Fiction, History, Reading level: age 8 and up | Comments Closed
Saturday, January 15th, 2005
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| Author: | Louise Erdrich |
| Reading Level (Conceptual): | For grown-ups
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| Reading Level (Vocabulary): | For grown-ups
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| Genre: | fiction |
| Year of publication: | 2001 |
Woman is mistaken for a priest, and ends up adopting his identity and ministering to an Indian reservation in the early twentieth century. It's interesting to learn the background of some of the characters we met in Love Medicine. |
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If you found this review helpful and/or interesting, consider supporting our book habit: Buy this book!: Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse |
Posted in Conceptual: for grown ups, Culture, Dealing with bullies, Death is a central theme, Female protagonist, Fiction, Gifted, History, Reading level: Grown up | Comments Closed
