Good story and resilient Katy prevails
598402
It's the real Katy who fell in love and was heartbroken during her rise to stardom.  If you like seeing Katy perform live you will get a lot of that and all her hits.  I liked the movie but so glad I didn't go see it at the movie theater.  I hope it made Katy lots of money but I doubt it made a lot of money at the box office.  I wasn't expecting a documentary but it lacked substance.  It does tell you that being a rock/pop star isn't an easy lifestyle and it will take a toll on your love life.  If your partner isn't with you, even if you BOTH have money, then your relationship will suffer.  It did for Katy and Russell but I didn't see that one lasting in the first place. You can't control who you fall in love with but this one look destined to fail.
800903
I am not the first to think "Watership Down" for meerkats when reading this wonderful little book in which I learned much about meerkats and, through them, about people and their conflicts.

As the story begins, Sheena, a bobbed-tailed, black and white kitty hops onto her people's Land Rover to make her third clandestine foray into Baragandiri National Park. She hops back into Great White when Dad drives off for firewood, only to be left in a dry section of the park, hoping to find her family before the campout ends in 10 days. Thirsty, she is sizing up an insect that looks juicy, when a young meerkat chomps down on it, getting stung at the same time by "Black Hairy Thick-Tail." Pebble, the meerkat, begins to recite the bad, bad symptoms of scorpion bites while experiencing them simultaneously. Hum, hypochondriac meerkat? Pebbles is pretty funny and the humor builds until Sheena realizes that he really is in bad shape at about symptom seven. A second meerkat, Sandstepper, determines that Sheena has the makings of an excellent furry ambulance and they maneuver Pebbles onto her back. With that rescue, Sheena is welcomed into the Duwara tribe of the meerkats, who begin each joyous day in a sunbath, the Sunwake. The Duwara are at war with the Utongo who worship a better sun. The Utongo are out for revenge against the Duwara for delivering sickness into their tribe. They attack and kidnap the Duwara's leaders' three pups. Sheena slinks across the Gorge in a Bond-like mission to infiltrate the Utongos, figuring there has to be more to this conflict. Along the way, she encounters animal friends and foes, and limps to the Utongos with severe injuries. There she was nursed by Fara until... (Fara found it hard to finish...) Sheena noted that the tribes were so similar, soaking in the warmth of the sun each morning, caring for the newborns, hunting, sleeping habits, playing. She knows that there is one solution to end the war, but she had to get the warring tribes together to make it work. Sheena is one resourceful kitty.

Can we learn about peace from slim, crew-cut fur creatures? One can hope. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about meerkats and the ten other creatures of the Baragandiri. Humor, pathos, danger, The Meerkat Wars really has it all. This is the third book about courageous Sheena and her adventures in Baragandiri National Park.

Joan Enders, Librarian Robert A. Long HS Library
whattoreadwhattoread.blogspot.com
Chair, Lower Columbia Review Group
1892882
This story is about resilience and how one young girl growing into womanhood deals with the ups and (mostly) downs of her life. The story is predictable in parts but does not disappoint. A good read.
3699904
A Goodreads giveaway win that intrigued me for its concept and, honestly, the fact that it had a cover quote from Chris Cleave (Little Bee).  This story is narrated by Raami, a girl from a well-to-do family with royal ties in Cambodia who is seven years old when the Khmer Rouge takes over the capital and the country.  She understands very little as she flees with her family and goes through hardships that would break most people and a regime responsible for a genocide that claimed hundreds of thousands, and perhaps up to two million, lives.  Raami's world is shaken but she also finds comfort in folk tales and in stories told to her by her father.  To say much more would be to say too much, though I do recommend waiting to read too much about the author since the novel is based on her own life and it could be a form of unexpected spoiler.

It's always hard to say one enjoyed a novel like this since the story is hardly joyous, despite the young narrator's spirit.  Still, it was a very good read.  I found many interesting characters, from the various members of Raami's family to the good people who find a way to come together in the face of evil.  Raami doesn't always really understand what is going on, a state that is probably much more real than is often the case with child narrators given the fact that the author was only a little bit older when she experienced a similar journey.  I appreciate that you do see a bit of what draws some of the younger members to the Khmer Rouge regime, even while it is utterly clear to the reader that countless atrocities marked this period.  I did sometimes get a bit weary of portions of both the mother and father characters, which is largely responsible for this being four rather than five stars.

Not an easy read, but worthwhile.
146607
One of the things that I especially love about working at an elementary school is the variety of children I get to meet.  This can be both enjoyable and incredibly frustrating, but never boring, and I learn as much from them as they do from me (hopefully).  Clay is one of those students who is more than capable of doing well in school, but chooses not to.  In Clay's case, his admiration for his older brother, leads him into mischief, including the donkey drawing of his principal.  When Mitchell returns home changed, Clay is naturally confused and angry, he doesn't see any need to change.  But as Clay struggles to change and slowly realizes that one's reputation is not easily repaired, he starts to realize that his choices have consequences, sometimes serious ones.

Now, I admit, the story does seem a bit oversimplified.  In real life, changing one's behavior can be and often is very challenging and doesn't happen over night.  But I think Clements makes his point, that the choices we make follow us as we travel down life's road.  I can think of more than a few students whose behavior could lead them down some very painful roads and it makes me sad.  The writing is good, typical Clements, and the illustrations provide a nice compliment.  Recommended for readers who like a good school story.
1849921
Excellent story with great descriptions of traveling across the plains states and early Colorado settlement from the perspective of a young girl... who grows up considerably along the way.

Having recently traveled the area traversed by the wagon train really brought the enormity of the trip into focus for my girls, and the way the protagonist grows to appreciate things in her own way, for her own reasons- being brave enough to be herself, but recognizing that she can also find joy (and myriad other emotions!) in a task that isn't "her" without losing herself- resonated deeply with my preteenagers.

The heavier topics (including domestic violence) are handled delicately, carefully and proactively.

Ms. Dallas expertly crafted a book that deals with some tough parts of life- that, while it leaves plenty of room for discussion, also establishes a plausible (if unfortunately not likely common for the time, in several cases) happy ending.
2024895
Captured from the first word to the last. Feel as if I know Katy personally. Love love love. Thanks, good read.
1312016
"A Pardon For Tommy" is the story of a girl named Chelsea Malibu, her family, her pet turkey, and how they all deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It's a very traumatic time for them, as they have to start over in a new city, Chelsea's dad is missing, and their lives are completely upended. Chelsea finds comfort in Tommy, the turkey that her dad won for them in a contest before the hurricane, who is destined for the Thanksgiving table - unless she can convince her mom to let him live. There are other characters too: her brother Chip, their grandmother, a long-lost uncle, various friends. But the story is mainly about Chelsea and her journey of hope and healing.

This book is meant for middle school or high school readers, and I think the writing is appropriate for that age group. The plot gets a little jumpy at times. But I liked the descriptions of New Orleans culture and the way Chelsea eventually finds closure and happiness. Overall it was a sweet story, and it put a human face on a disaster that touched millions of lives and in some ways is still affecting America today.
1174467
The title says it all--this is the story of some of the brave women of Texas who held civilization and family together, working alongside their husbands and carrying on while their men were away fighting to defend their land. The basis for the stories is the family lore of the author's maternal and paternal female ancestors, the King family of Seguin and the Wood family of San Marcos.

The first section tells the story of Euphemia Texas Ashby King (the author's maternal great-great grandmother) and of her sister Sarah, beginning when Euphemia is five years old. Left alone when her husband departs to fight in the Texas War for Independence, a pregnant Sarah has to flee with her little sister Euphemia and her own toddler son from the approach of Santa Anna in the infamous Runaway Scrape. This is the most riveting part of the novel, recounting in some details the ordeals of cold, torrential rains, swollen rivers, and disease as the groups of mainly women and children flee the wrath and "no quarter" policy of the Mexican army. Euphemia's life also includes encounters with the dreaded Comanches, who kidnap her best friend, Matilda Lockhart; and the travail of the Civil War, when her own husband, William King, goes off to war, leaving her to fend for the family.

The second section concerns the author's paternal great grandmother, Georgia Lawshe Woods, beginning when she is nine years old and the family leaves their Georgia home because of the persecution and resettlement of Indians, her mother Cherokee being rumored to be half Creek Indian. After settling in Missippi, Georgia, at fifteen, marries an older man, Dr. Peter Kavanaugh Woods, who takes her to Texas. The biggest challenges of her life are the Civil War, when her husband is away fighting, and Reconstruction, when her husband is away participating in state politics, and a corrupt Yankee officer takes over her house and threatens her family. Let's just say she does what has to be done.

The third section switches back to the maternal side of the author's family, to her other great grandmother, Bettie Moss King, the daughter-in-law of Euphemia Texas King. Her life is less eventful, because the time and circumstances are less precarious, but she, too, faces challenges--the loss of loved ones in World War I and in the influenza epidemic of 1918, the shame of the Ku Klux Klan, and the loss of grandchildren in World War II.

The writing in this novel is very uneven, sometimes poetic and assured and sometimes trite. The historic details are fascinating, but sometimes the history is too detailed to maintain interest, and sometimes it is telescoped, leaving important pieces out or glossing over them.

Nevertheless, this partly-fictional account of Texas women is well worth reading, particularly for Texans. It would also be suitable for young adult reading.
101330
Comet is a cat living in a dog-run world (doesn't life suck there?) where he meets misfortune after misfortune. Fortunately, he is a cat and therefore has nine lives--he just happens to be loosing them at an alarming rate.

It's a sweet, quirky story that admittedly does not have much on plot.  But the kids had fun predicting how each new situation would kill Comet.  I have never seen macabre in a cuter way, and that's always a plus.  Despite all the fun deaths, we are still left wondering if Comet will make it out alive and live happily ever after or lose all nine lives.

Much of the story is told in the illustrations, and I appreciated that as it got the kids thinking.  And, as always, Jan Brett's illustrations are gorgeous.

If the kids are fighting over this book during free reading time, that's a good sign.  And teacher enjoys a little macabre herself.

Great job.
171594
I gave this book a rating of four stars. I liked the story and surprised how quickly I became involved in the story, egging for the Thracian girl to win her freedom. The writer is not heavy handed with description but there's enough to feel the heat and cool winds of Memphis. Now with being said the typos were stopping me at times from becoming fully immersed in the book. Sometimes having to re-read a sentence to understand what the author had intended. If the author tends to this then this story could easily be a solid four and a half star tale. There's an ease in which the writer depicts that will press you to finish the book in a sitting or two. I finished the story in two days. I found myself putting the book down for the night, pondering what will happen to the heroine and spending the remainder of the night in the stables of the heterae. These are courtesans hoping to buy their freedom by powerful patrons. Lobbied Hawker is not patronizing with any particular message but reading this one will have an opinion. I found myself repelled at myself urging the 14 year old girl from Thrace to find a patron soon. Happy when she did and hoped that this would buy her freedom. As a woman it spoke to me of the long history that women had little choice but to sell their bodies by means of survival. I would recommend reading this book if only for a good read for the liver of all things Egyptian. You, in my humble opinion, will not be disappointed.
3504343
We meet Katie when she is an abused child by both parents, and soon discover her imaginary defense team of Zorro and Blake. They instill confidence in her tortured life and enable her to champion through. Her rockstar idol, Zackery Kaine, and his family try to help alleviate Katie's circumstances, and eventually she and Zak become quite close. This book reads partially like a memoir and one wonders if Ms. McKeon experienced part of the trauma that Katie did. The format is interesting in that we read sections of Katie's diary and know her innermost thoughts. We also hear from Zorro and Blake throughout the book, and come to rely on them as the guiding lights in Katie's life. Any parent who reads this book would do well to discuss abuse with their children, and tell them never to hide something when it feels wrong. The storyline is too intense for the YA category. This is a gripping tale told with a lot of heart and finesse.
3882889
This story opens in June of 1987 with the then 85-year-old Katy relating her girlhood at the turn of the 20th century.

The flashbacks start in 1908 with the then-nearly 6-year-old Katy, her friend Jessie and Kate's future fiance, Austin.  The trio remain lifetime friends.

The bulk of the story takes place in 1911.  Katy, then nearly 9 learned what the word "maternity" means when she reads it in a dress catalog; her sister Mary is born that year and Nell, a farm girl comes to stay with Katy's family as a helper.  Nell comes from a large family and her brother Jacob, 14 has been called "touched" as in "touched in the head."  In today's world, Jacob would most likely be considered to have a form of autism.

Largely nonverbal, Jacob wears the same hat; enjoys the company of animals and retreats from people and noises.  At best, he stands quietly when Katy shares the news of her day with him.

Katy's father is a delightful character.  A country doctor, he often takes his daughter on his rounds.  A feel and flavor of small town America is beautifully portayed in their horse-and-buggy trips.  Jessie's family is proud to be the first on their street to own a $900 Ford, then a rarity.

Katy's father lets her come with him to the Asylum, a gray stone monstrosity on the edge of town.  I like the intelligent discussions and honest answers he gives her; he tells her where babies really come from; I like the compassion he displays towards people in the Asylum.  He is a remarkably astute man who understands Jacob's behavior such as the boy's rigid adherence to routine and how that, and his ubiquitous hat make him feel safe.

The story of Jacob closes on a sad note.  He gives Katy a kitten and applies this act to an unrelated situation.  Sadly, Jacob fades out of the town and, at the story's close nobody knew of his fate.

Katy takes readers on a history tour; she marries Austin in 1928; Jessie's brother Paul is killed in WWI on June 5, 1918 after dropping out of law school.  The Asylum is closed by 1960 and Katy, mulling over her life, decides never to share the story of Jacob with her children and grandchildren.

While more progressive minds have prevailed in recent times in re autism, sadly these myths and misperceptions crop up from time to time.  The 1988 movie "Rain Man," which I have come to hate is about an autistic savant who was institutionalized because of an unfounded fear he would injure his infant brother.  The term "Rain Man" is considered offensive in most autism circles.  In 1911, the word autism had yet to be coined and sadly, tolerance was a rarity.  Katy's father was ahead of his time.

I liked the use of historical photographs and the author interview which was included in this book.  That made a good thing even better and the photographs brought the times covered to light.
176374
Gaby lives with her father now that her mother has been sent back to Honduras because she was in the U.S. illegally.  But Gaby's father rarely pays attention to her and barely manages to support them both moving jobs every few weeks. Gaby desperately wants her mother to return and doesn't understand the difficulties involved.  When her school class volunteers at an animals shelter, Gaby is asked to write profiles of each of the animals available for adoption, which she does well.  But when she falls in love with an abused and neglected cat named Feather, she's willing to do whatever it takes to protect the cat even if it gets her in trouble.

Strengths: Gaby is a likable main character who makes plenty of mistakes throughout the story as she searches for a home to call her own. Her best friend, Alma is a delight with her fiesty ways and sense of humor. The issue of illegal immigration is handled in a sensitive way with Gaby eventually realizing that skipping over the border just isn't possible and even attempting it is dangerous. I also appreciated Gaby's teacher's and the way they handled poor student behavior, including the bullying that Gaby undergoes.

Weaknesses: The legal issues involved in illegal immigration are ignored and other ways for Gaby's mother to return are not explored, giving the book a rather one-sided feel. Gaby's going to live with Alma's family is treated as an informality when legally certain things would need to be done for them to offically be her guardians.  The school especially would require a legal guardian for certain things. Child readers though aren't likely to notice any of this, they will simply enjoy a sweet story about finding home and animals.
1336562
This tragic story has as good an ending as one might hope for after years of the author's private hell being the victim of kidnapping and abuse.  It portrays the victim's life before the kidnapping (it was awful), her abuse by her abductor, and her what appears to be an evolving successful re-entry and assimilation back to daily life in the post abduction world.

Michelle is a wonderful human being in spite of what happened to her and it is remarkable that she survived at all.  In fact, it appears that if she had not been found when she was, a few more weeks of incarceration would have allowed a serious medical condition to destroy her chances of survival.

This story is well written and orgainzed in an entertaining sequence.  Hopefullhy, lessons can be learned from this story to improve community awareness of stuff happening around the neighborhood, everywhere, to stop repeats of what Michelle went through.
361182
Twelve-year-old Katy Carr, the eldest of six, is full of the best intentions. Yet somehow, she always seems to forget, as life is full of so many adventures. Together with her sister Clover, a year younger, and their neighbor Cecy, the trio romps through life with the help of their imaginations and sense of fun.

Yet one horrible day, a tragic accident changes everything. A moment of fun leads to Katy being bedridden. For a girl used to running outdoors all day, the thought of being in bed for an extra hour, let alone indefinitely, seems unbearable.

Luckily, Katy's Cousin Helen, herself the victim of a serious accident years ago, is a perfect model of making the most of life. Despite being unable to walk and spending most of her time in her bedroom, Helen is pleasant, making everyone enjoy spending time with her. Although Katy admires her greatly and wants to emulate her, she just can't fathom how. She assumes that Helen is simply a much better person, but Helen gradually lets her in on a little secret - like anything else in life, it takes practice.

At first, the worst thing about the entire situation is the not knowing. It would be one thing to endure the pain and boredom if Katy knew there was an eventual end in sight; but of course, not even the doctor knows how Katy's body will heal, or IF it even will.

But then Katy accepts her situation, and that's when she begins to learn all kinds of things, about herself and life in general.

Although Coolidge's story is a bit dated, having been written in the late 19th century and thus demonstrating some very different ideas about illness and disability than we today may be accustomed to hearing. But overall, people are always still the same inside, especially 12-year-old girls. Katy's story is bound to touch readers throughout the ages.
2661810
This was a surprising good book. I often grow weary of love stories that are obligatorily pigeon holed into the books I listen to, but Katy really sold me on this one. She did it in a funny way too. The book is actually quite humerus but never seems like it's trying too hard. Katy is an excellent sci-fi author who manages to deftly delve into the wonder of technology. She gave me enough detail to consider and day-dream over, but never got bogged down in minutia. She seems to have a good handle on scientific theories, so nothing she described seemed totally impossible. Sci-Fi authors having no idea what they are talking about are a bit of a pet peve of mine. Katy probably isn't a rocket scientist, and she probably left many things vague enough so as not to give away her lack of understanding on a subject, but this was never apparent. The spider colony and giant goldfish were a real treat to imagine and fantasize about.

Great pacing is another one of this title's assets. As Trevor explores the tale of his estranged father, many brief and entertaining stories unfold. As a minor gripe, I thought the book lost a little bit of steam in the last quarter. Some of the unfortunate circumstances and events in the last sections seemed added as an after-thought just to keep things exciting. This heavy handed push for excitement left me pondering over the probability of so many co-incidents. But before I really had a chance to get cranky about this, it all ended in what managed to be one of my  favorite book-endings of all time.

Katy really managed to make her characters feel like real people, not just some out-of-touch author's idea of some stereotype, but living people with believable motivations. As a side note, I must say, I really enjoyed her taste in men, as it seemed to gravitate on the more bearish side of things.

In the end, I found Spin The Sky to be a humorous, touching, and action packed experience that soars above my most recent reads. Thank you Katy!

Also, Thank you Holly Cate, the voice behind this Audio-Book. All the accents seemed like a challenge and I found her delivery of them, while maybe imperfect at times, to be very entertaining. It's also clear she has a bit of a sense of humor, as the funny bits were always delivered in the proper tone and inflection. Her voice also cuts through background noise like a knife. I often listen to audiobooks in the shower and I could hear her voice very clearly the whole time... awesome!