Star Wars crafts

This week's big program was Star Wars crafts. I set out a table full of craft supplies in hopes that the kids would just express their own creativity and create something. Of course, there are always a couple of kids who are either too scared or, in this case, too young for that to be a practical plan. So I also planned a handful of easy crafts.

Yoda ears headband...

and of course the Princess Leia version.

Balloon lightsabers

origami, patterns courtesy of the Origami Yoda book series

ATCs

Lightsaber zipper pulls and paper bookmarks (I have a slight Chewbacca obsession)

finger puppets

The lightsabers were a hit with the littles

Book review - Egg and Spoon

Title: Egg and Spoon
Author: Gregory Maguire
Genre: fantasy
Similar books: Sekret by Lindsay Smith
                     Trollbridge by Jane Yolen
Rating:

It's just so very, very long

Summary: Elena's village is impoverished and dying. The men have all either left in search of work or been conscripted into the Tsar's army. A flood followed by drought means there is little food. The people believe they are doomed. Then a train comes through town. The train carries a noble family on their way to visit the Tsar in St. Petersburg. Elena is determined to follow the train the Tsar's palace so she can appeal to him for help. When Elena accidentally switches places with a member of the family, young Ekaterina, she is sent of on an adventure that will lead her to cross paths with a Prince in disguise, a phoenix, and Baba Yaga herself.
My opinion: Maguire's writing is masterful. The characters are complex. The kids make selfish, naive decisions. They are trapped in a problem that they don't fully understand with no good solution. Baba Yaga is fantastic. Quirky and hilarious, she's more than just a simple "bad guy." Sure she eats children, but she's a vital part of their world just like the other magical elements. And she is just so funny, particularly in her interactions with her cat. I just can't get over the length of this book, especially as it is a dense read. This isn't a book to pick up for some casual entertainment. The narrative style is kind of meandering with a rich sense of description. This is a style that may appeal to some adults but seldom reaches teens.
Advance Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.
 

Pick 6: Magic

Spells, faeries, witches, giants. Magical elements seem to resonate with young readers and there are some really excellent fantasy novels being written for them. Here are six books published in the past six months that feature magic.

6 new magical novels

1. Bad Magic by Pseudonomous Bosch

2. Jackaby by William Ritter

3. Centaur Rising by Jane Yolen

4. The Witch's Boy by Kelly Barnhill

5. Spirit's Key by Edith Cohn

6. The Iron Trial by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare

 

WWW Wednesday

What are you currently reading?
Elora of Stone by Jaime Lee Mann
There is a curse on twins in the Kingdom of Falmoor. Ever since the confrontation between the good witch Elora and evil sorcerer Larque, no set of twins has ever grown up intact. One twin always dies or disappears. At four years old, Arianna's twin brother Asher vanished. Now that she's thirteen, Arianna learns that Asher is still alive and if she can rescue him she and Asher may be able to save Falmoor.
I'm not usually a huge fan of fantasy but this one is rather charming. It has its own unique rules of magic and some truly likeable characters.
 
What did you recently finish reading?
Egg and Spoon by Gregory Maguire
Elena's village is impoverished and dying. The men have all either left in search of work or been conscripted into the Tsar's army. A flood followed by drought means there is little food. The people believe they are doomed. Then a train comes through town. The train carries a noble family on their way to visit the Tsar in St. Petersburg. Elena is determined to follow the train the Tsar's palace so she can appeal to him for help. When Elena accidentally switches places with a member of the family, young Ekaterina, she is sent of on an adventure that will lead her to cross paths with a Prince in disguise, a phoenix, and Baba Yaga herself.
I enjoy most any retelling of fairy and folk tales. Maguire has created a fantastic cast of characters in this book. Baba Yaga is fantastic in this tale and she has a great wisecracking cat. It really is an amazing read. Just long. It's an incredibly long, dense book. 
 
What do you think you will read next?
King Dork by Frank Portman
I like books about dorky kids and this one promises mysteries, music, and mistaken identity.

Book review - Fortunately, the Milk

Title: Fortunately, the Milk
Author: Neil Gaiman
Genre: fantasy/comedy
Similar books: Oliver and the Seawigs by Philip Reeve
                     Operation Bunny by Sally Gardner
Rating:

Silly, crazy fun

Summary: When their father returns home hours late with the milk he ran down the street to pick up, two children listen, disbelieving, as he spins the tale of his delay.
My opinion: Imagine that To Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street had been an episode of Doctor Who. You would end up with this book. Futuristic, time traveling dinosaurs. Pirates. Aliens who want to replace all of the trees with lawn flamingos and the cloud with scented candles. Vampires (that call themselves wumpires). Intelligent ponies. This book has it all. It is an absurd romp and an absolute delight. You even get hints of the episode Gaiman wrote for Doctor who. Take this line for instance: "We have spoons. Spoons are excellent. Sort of like forks, only not as stabby." The whole book is full of that dry wit, making appealing to both kids and parents.

Peg dolls continued

As promised, here are the remainder of the peg dolls I painted for my craft fair. Many of these smaller ones have decorations glued to them for added interest.

 

 

 

 

Book review - The Book of Ivy

Title: The Book of Ivy
Author: Amy Engel
Genre: dystopia
Similar books: Matched by Ally Condie
                     I am the Weapon by Allen Zadoff
Rating:

There's just something about this book that I love

Summary: Ivy Westfall has spent the past two years in training. Training for the day when she must marry Bishop Lattimer, son of the president, grandson of the man who overthrew her family (once leaders of their settlement) and made them second-class citizens. Training to return her family to power. Training to kill Bishop. It doesn't take long for Ivy to realize, though, that Bishop is not the cruel tyrant she's always been led to believe. Can she carry through with the plan?
My opinion: This book has all of the standard dystopian elements: girl from a repressed group, arranged marriage, cruel punishment, city walls that claim to be keeping danger out but may be keeping the population in, an assassination plot. And some parts of the plot are kind of idealized, particularly Ivy's interactions with Bishop. (I find Bishop just a little too good to believe). And there's this notion of the power of love to break down barriers, change minds, all that jazz. these are things that tend to make me roll my eyes when I read them. Something about the way Engel put it all together, though, was just shy of perfection. What really sold me on this book was the ending. [ATTENTION: Here there be mild spoilers] What a cruel, dark, awesome ending. Nothing works out for Ivy. She's in a terrible situation with no way out. Clearly this is the lead-in for book 2, but it is also what keeps it from becoming too cliche. If you like dystopias, give this book a try.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.