Reading is Fun

Bibliography Brown, D.(2004). Odd Boy Out: Young Albert Einstein. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Book Summary The author highlights some of the odd characteristics of Einstein from birth through adulthood and how he became famous. His grandmother thought he was too fat and his mother thought he had fat head. Einstein took longer than normal to start talking. He had a temper and often had “nasty tantrums” and was sometimes cruel to his sister. He often ignored things that didn’t interest him but paid single minded attention to things that interested him such as math which he was brilliant at. My Impression The book chronicles the life of Einstein from birth to adulthood. The author includes the odd details that characterized the physicist’s life. These details make Einstein more real. The struggles he experienced at home and at school help the reader get a clear picture of Einstein. The text is simp...

Bibliography: Sayre, H.(2004).Cave Paintings to Picasso: The Inside Scoop on 50 Art Masterpieces. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. Book Summary: In this book, Sayre gives readers a list of 50 art masterpieces ranging from 22,000 B.C. to A.D. 1964. The art pieces cover a wide variety of styles. Sayre takes the readers on a world tour as they explore the art from the prehistoric age to the modern 21 st century art of Rene Magritte in the “Son of man” and the Andy Warhol Campbell tomato soup can painting. The selection includes paintings that are not only famous but beautiful to look at. My Impression The paintings are chronologically organized according to time period. The author provides facts and analysis of each art piece. The size of each art piece is provided and a sidebar provides the artists timeline. The author gives background information, time period, some information about what was going on d...

Bibliography: Blue, R & Naden, C.(2009). Ron’s Big Mission. New York: Dutton Children's Books Book Summary Nine year old Ron McNair enjoys reading and dreams of flying planes. In the 1950’s black people are not allowed library cards and therefore cannot check out books from the library. Despite being the library’s “best customer” Ron cannot check out books under his name because he is not allowed to have a library card. But on this summer day in 1959, Ron is determined to change all this. He selects some books and heads to the check out desk. He insists on getting his own library card and refuses to move until he gets one. My Impression This fictionalized account of a real event that happened in the life of Ron McNair who went on to become a successful astronaut. The author uses simple language to portray the message. The illustrations are vivid and expressive. They portray different emotions ...

Bibliography: Hale, B.(2000). The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse. San Diego: Harcourt Inc. Book Summary This is the first book in the Chet Gecko Mystery series.Chet Gecko, a lizard, is a private eye fourth grader. He solves mysteries around the school. Chet is hired by Shirley chameleon to find her troublesome brother Billy who is a first grader. Billy was last seen with the Gila monster named Herman. Chet is accompanied by Natalie a mockingbird who helps him follow various clues, some of them dead end, that he uncovers in his search. Finally Chet not only find Billy but also uncovers a plot against the school's football team, instigated by Herman Gila Monster and his gang. Chet manages to avert disaster during a football game. My Impression The author uses a lot of humor making the story fun to read. There is a variety of characters, some of whom are very quirky. T...

Bibliography: Collins, S.(2003). Gregor the Overlander. New York: Scholastic Press Book Summary Eleven year old Gregor is at home doing laundry and minding his two year old Boots when she falls through a grate in the laundry room at their New York City apartment. In attempt to rescue her, he falls through the vent as well and ends up in an underworld. In this underworld pale looking humans live with giant talking roaches, bats, rats, and spiders. The humans coexist uneasily with the insects and rodents. Gregor just wants to go home before his mum discovers them missing but he gets sucked up into a prophecy that says that he is among the chosen group to help the humans settle their ongoing conflict with the rats. Gregor also discovers that his father who has disappeared two years earlier was in the underland held captive by the rats. My Impression The plot is easy to follow. There is a lot of suspense ...

Bibliography: Anderson, L.(2005).Prom. New York: Penguin Group. Book Summary Eighteen year old Ash’s goal at this point is to graduate high school. She is going through a stressful period and is determined to overcome all the obstacles standing in her way. She has detentions and unpaid library fines on her record that prevent her from participating in senior activities. She is not interested in going to the prom and is determined to avoid it at all costs. But when all the prom money is stolen by the math teacher, Ash is somehow sucked into helping her friend Nat rescue the prom. Through hard work, ingenuity, careful planning and determination, Ash salvages the prom. My Impression Ashley is a typical teen girl going through issues that are not uncommon to girls her own age. She is struggling to finish high school and cannot see beyond this to college. Her main goal is to graduate high school and move out of her parent’s home. She comes from a dysfunctional family and is...