Puppets!

Yesterday was our monthly puppet class. As part of our ongoing effort to use mostly everyday materials (making every puppet easy replicated at home) we used paper cups as a puppet base. These are some of the puppets that the kids made.

This dude has a spectacular mustache.

This puppet maker said, "I was going for a sort of demented jester look."

Baby Abraham Lincoln, complete with beard and pacifier.

A pair of pirates

 

Book review - The Truth About Twinkie Pie

Title: The Truth About Twinkie Pie
Author: Kat Yeh
Genre: realistic fiction
Similar books: A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd
                     Steering Toward Normal by Rebecca Petruck
Rating:

Lovely. Simply lovely.

Summary: Her entire life, Gigi has been focused on studying instead of making friends. It's the plan laid out for her by her big sister Didi, her only living relative. Didi wants her to succeed, instead of having to be a hairdresser like Didi and their mother. Now that she's at a new school, though, Gigi wants to reinvent herself. She wants friends and fun instead of just achievement. She doesn't anticipate the conflict this will cause with Didi. Or the family secrets it will reveal.

My Opinion: It's hard to believe this is Yeh's first novel. So many positives. The characters, especially Didi and Gigi are so realistic: nuanced, flawed, and having distinctive voices. Even secondary and tertiary characters have depth and growth. The setting is wonderful as well. Yeh really provides a sense of place, perfectly described with little details like the creaking step and the overly perfect store fronts without bogging us down with description, so each reader can imagine the town for himself, making it his own. It's introspective without becoming 300 pages of navel-gazing. Then there's the recipes. These fantastic recipes for "real people" foods written in a friendly, conversational voice. Plus Gigi and Didi's story really takes us through an emotional wringer. Fabulous.

More information: The Truth About Twinkie Pie releases January 24th. 
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

Books on screen

The Rescuers

To be quite blunt, this movie has very little in common with the book of the same name. Disney even acknowledges this. The exact wording in the opening credits is “Suggested by 'The Rescuers' and 'Miss Bianca' by Margery Sharp”. A little research reveals that the movie takes most of its plot from the sequel to The Rescuers, Miss Bianca (a book which I was not able to find). The book The Rescuers introduces us to the characters of Bernard and Miss Bianca and their work with the Prisoner’s Aid Society, sending them on a mission with a Norwegian mouse named Nils to rescue a prisoner from a foul dungeon. Disney’s film version slightly alters the characters (making Bernard an oafish and superstitious janitor rather than a gruff yet brave pantry mouse) and of course sets the tale in the United States rather than Europe, though I’m given to understand that many of the aspects of the plot remain, at heart, the same as the base plot of Miss Bianca. Basically, don’t expect any real crossover between the Rescuers novel and the movie. (And for my money, skip this first movie in favor of The Rescuers Down Under, my personal favorite)

WWW Wednesday

What are you currently reading?
How (Not) to Fall in Love by Lisa Brown Roberts
Darcy has always lived a charmed life. Her father is a successful motivational speaker. Until he isn't. When his business falls apart, Darcy's father hits the road leaving his family to deal with the aftermath. Darcy needs some place to escape from the constant stress of her changed status among her friends and her mother's new drinking habit. Her uncle's thrift store may just be that place.
While it seems like this plot might be incredibly predictable, what I've read so far has a certain charm. 

What did you recently finish reading?
The Truth About Twinkie Pie by Kat Yeh
Her entire life, Gigi has been focused on studying instead of making friends. It's the plan laid out for her by her big sister Didi, her only living relative. Didi wants her to succeed, instead of having to be a hairdresser like Didi and their mother. Now that she's at a new school, though, Gigi wants to reinvent herself. She wants friends and fun instead of just achievement. She doesn't anticipate the conflict this will cause with Didi. Or the family secrets it will reveal.
This was an absolutely charming, wonderful story. Heartbreaking at times but gentle enough for youngish readers. Join me on Friday for my full review.

What do you think you will read next?
It's Up to Charlie Hardin by Dean Ing
This story of the adventures of a boy in his Texas town during WWII could be a blast. 

also

The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley by Shaun David Hutchinson
I've been looking forward to this book for months now and my library just got a print copy in. I can't wait to start in on it.

Book review - Tear You Apart

Title: Tear You Apart
Author: Sarah Cross
Genre: fantasy
Similar books: Troll Bridge by Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple
                     A Grimm Legacy by Janna Jennings
Rating:

frustrating

Summary: For years, Viv has known that she has a Snow White curse, that some day her stepmother will send a huntsman to kill her. She always expected that her best friend-turned-boy friend Henley would be there to protect her. No one expected that Henley would turn out to be the huntsman. When Prince Jasper, one of the princes of the Underworld, offers her a way out, Viv must decide if being around Henley is worth the risk.

My Opinion: There are some things I really like about this book: the idea of the fairy tale curses, the general rejection of the fated ending, and the blending of the fairy tales into a single world. It had all of the elements that I was looking for, which made the negatives that much more disappointing. Vivian is an incredibly selfish character. All of her concerns are about herself. When Henley is in danger, Vivian is worried because of how it will affect her. When she learns that Regina has been belittled and emotionally abused her entire life, she can't even raise a little sympathy. She's too angry at Regina to feel bad. Henley isn't really any better. He's terribly possessive, doing massive amounts of property damage if Vivian flirts with or pays attention to another guy, even when they are "broken up." Theirs is a textbook example of an unhealthy relationship. It's literally all the behaviors we warn young people to look out for. Take this line from a big "romantic" scene: "I don't want you to be happy if it means you're happy with someone else." Terrible, selfish, terrifying love. So, even though there were many things that I liked about this book, that relationship prevents me from giving it my endorsement.

More information: Tear You Apart releases January 27.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

Small animals

While exploring ideas for Christmas presents to make, I came across the book Sewing Tiny Toys which has instructions for making small stuffed animals. While the animals in the book are made out of fleece or velvet, I figured they would translate well into felt. I picked out these two as being common animals in the world of Redwall, thus being well suited to my niece.

Mole

Otter

Teddy Bear Picnic!

For several years now my library has hosted and annual Teddy Bear Picnic. As they enter, kids make a craft and find a place to sit on the floor. After everyone has a chance to eat their lunch we read a story. Then we play The Teddy Bear Picnic song and have a chance to dance with our special guest, a volunteer dressed up in a teddy bear costume (thanks Zeke!). Many of the kids like to have their photo taken with the bear. After that, all that's left is a special snack. 

Bears have a snowball fight.

 

Our bear mask craft - photo by Nicholas Navarre

photo by Nicholas Navarre

Story time! - photo by Nicholas Navarre

Dancing with the bear - photo by Nicholas Navarre

Photo by Nicholas Navarre

Photo by Nicholas Navarre

Enjoying cupcakes - photo by Nicholas Navarre