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Search Results for: lemony snicket

Curiosity House: The Shrunken Head

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curiosity house

5M4B disclosure

I am a huge fan of quirky, smart middle grade fiction. I figured that Curiosity House: The Shrunken Head would fit the bill, and it did!

I am assuming that Curiosity House will be a series, with this The Shrunken Head, as the first installation. It sets up well the quirky museum/freak show that Mr. Dumfrey runs. The museum is in financial trouble, so when they get a new item, a shrunken head, he is glad it creates a lot of buzz , but unfortunately a lot of mishaps, resulting in injury and even death, surrounds it as well. The deaths are totally age-appropriate and not too scary (age 10 and up, I’d say).

Mr. Dumfrey’s 4 kids of extraordinary abilities Pippa, Max, Sam and Thomas –who excel at mind-reading, knife throwing, strength, and shape-shifting — bond together to try to get to the bottom of things and ultimately save the only home they’ve ever known. Kids will relate to them feeling like misfits, as most kids do at some time or another.

I am reserving my highest recommendation, because I gave it to my 11 year old to read. I was pretty sure he’d like it, but he put it aside. That said, as I read it, I told him I really thought he’d like it, and he should try again, and he seemed open to the idea.

Lauren Oliver is a popular YA author, but I know she’s written middle grade fiction as well, and she’s right in her element here, along with H.C. Chester (who is somewhat mysterious himself as his author pic shows).

I think that fans of Mysterious Benedict Society, perhaps Lemony Snicket, will enjoy this (or if your child enjoyed this book, have him or her try those). It also reminds me in tone of another recent release, The Keepers, the Box and the Dragonfly.

5 Book Series my Middle-Grader Loves {Friday’s Five}

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9 Year Old Series Collage

My son was always a good reader, but he didn’t always love reading. I can tell the difference between a book that he loves and a book that’s just okay, because he flies through the ones that really grab him. If it’s a series, he goes from one to the next without even coming up for air. Here are 5 series my son loved, and ones you might consider for your 4th – 6th grade readers (Edited — I showed my son this post, and he said, “I’d say up to 8th grade,” and he’s really correct. Any of these series can be appreciated through middle school for sure.)

Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan — This series started it all. He started reading them at the end of last summer, and literally tore through them, loving every minute. He calls them “Adventurous and cool and funny”

Warriors by Erin Hunter — After finishing the first series of the Percy Jackson books, he began this series since a friend of his was reading them. There are multiple series, each with 6 books. He’s currently midway through the 3rd series after only beginning them in September. He describes them as “really awesome.”

Secret Series by Pseudonymous Bosch — My daughter loved reading these and thought it was time to pass them down to her little brother. He read these thick books quickly. He calls them “Funny and adventurous.”

A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket — I had some weird prejudices against this series until Amanda and I read the first couple together recently. I figured that my humorous quirky son would like them, and the fact that he’s over halfway through the series indicates that he does. He says he likes them because they are “Witty.”

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling — He’s only read the first two, because we’re taking them slowly, but he’s excited to read more. He calls them “Adventurous, very fun to read because a ton of things happen in one book.”

What series keep your child reading? I’d love to hear some recommendations. Leave me a comment and let me know.

Look at the Related Posts below to see some of the non-series books that he read voraciously.

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Bubbling and Babbling about Bargain Bookstore Finds {On Reading}

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I love bookstores: browsing around, seeing books I’ve read and reviewed on the shelves along with books which are totally new to me. I love the chance to point someone in the right direction, especially if they are with a child looking for his or her next great read (Oh, tell me I’m not the only booklover who does this!). But when I combine my love for a bargain with the thrill of finding something new, I’m truly in booklover’s heaven.

My Bargains collage

The kids and I frequent Half Price Books here in Houston, and I’m not usually content with just saving 50%. I usually go straight for the clearance/bargain shelves in both the children’s and the adult sections. I scored big on my visit Friday, getting each of these 7 books for only $1 each.

First I visited the adult clearance section, and found Songs of the Humpback Whale. Jodi Picoult rarely disappoints me. I listened to many of her titles on audio, because they were readily available at my old library in Connecticut. Though I was won over by her characters, and in particular the different points-of-view she always offers within a single novel, I got a little burned out by her capricious shocking plot twists. It’s been a while, and the subtitle of this one focuses on what I think she does best — “A Novel in Five Voices” — so I think I’ll enjoy it.

Another pleasure read jumped out at me next, Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin. I’ve never read anything by her, but I’ve heard of this book (and the movie), as well as her other novels. Elizabeth even did a Q&A with Emily Giffin a couple of years ago. I can see why Elizabeth found her work so readable. I jumped into this book and could not let go (tune in for a Books on Screen comparison later this week!).

As I was leaving the store, I spied a nice thick cookbook on the clearance cart outside: The Dinner Doctor. Flipping through it, I figured I’d get at least a dollar’s worth of use from it, so I went back in and purchased it. I have 3 new dinners on my menu this week!

Kid Book Bargains

And then I headed over to the children’s/YA section. I love having books on hand for my kids, because they read more when there’s more around to read.

Amanda and I read Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants aloud together last summer (It was a bargain book purchase that I had waiting on my shelf for the opportune time). She has since read the 2nd one, so when I saw the 3rd and 4th on the bargain shelf, I snapped them up for her.

Kyle enjoyed reading The Odd Squad Zero Tolerance when I received it for Cybils review, so when I saw the first, Bully Bait, there for the taking, I snapped it up. He’s already finished it.

Amanda and I also read the first two Series of Unfortunate Events aloud in the last year or so (I know, we were very late to the party). The first was free on Kindle when Lemony Snicket‘s new chapter book series came out. I pick up books in the series when I see them for $2 or less, because I know that Kyle will love them as well.

Where do you find your book bargains? Are you more likely to buy a book if it’s too cheap to pass up? Do you get the same thrill I do?

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When Did You See Her Last?

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5M4B disclosure

Lemony Snicket When Did You See Her LastLemony Snicket is asking all the wrong questions in the second book of the series by that name, When Did You See Her Last? by Lemony Snicket. Lemony, a 12 year old boy, is still in Stain’d-by-the-Sea. a town that is failing and emptying out. His chaperone S. Theodora Markham announces to Lemony that they have a new case, to find the missing Miss Cleo Knight.

From the beginning, When Did You See Her Last? is silly and confusing and madcap. S. Theodora and Lemony head to the home of the Knights where they are met by Zada and Zora, the twin lookalike servants who expressed concern over Miss Knight’s disappearance. Her parents are in a daze, as their personal apocathary, Dr. Flammarion, who has been drugging them with laudanum for some surely nefarious purpose.

After minimal investigating, S. Theodora announces that the case is closed. Miss Knight has simply run away to join the circus of her own free will, so there is nothing to worry about. Lemony refuses to believe this and instead initiates his own investigation, much to the consternation of the local entertainingly bickering police, the Mitchums.

Needless to say, mayhem ensues as Lemony starts to unravel the mystery. Every person he encounters has secrets, not all of which they agree to share. Some of the characters are reappearances from the previous book, which might help untangle some of the webs, but many are there simply to be mysteries and confusing until the conclusion of the series.

The book was a quick read, once I was able to get into the style of the writing (confession: I’d not previously read any of the Lemony Snicket books) and accepted that it was supposed to be slightly confusing as you read it. This is one of the books that I would recommend reading in order so that you are able to follow as much as possible, as the books definitely build upon each other.

The wee ones are fascinated, as well, and the style of the book is definitely one to draw kids into reading. The illustrations throughout the book only add to the fun, making the fun characters even more unique and appealing. The same goes for some of the words and phrases used throughout the book. While they might not be familiar to many children, they are used and shared in such a way that they are defined in a way that helps kids while keeping them giggling.

Though the mystery of Miss Cleo Knight is solved by the end of When Did You See Her Last? after Lemony finally learns to ask the right questions, so many more questions are left unanswered, ready to be addressed in the next books of the All the Wrong Questions series. I’ll be waiting for them.

Written by Michelle who loves that the town where she lives is thriving. She shares her stories, though hopefully in a far less confusing manner, via her blog Honest & Truly! and on Twitter where she is also @HonestAndTruly.

What are the new children’s classics? {On Reading}

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This summer, Kyle read the first Harry Potter book. He liked it (follow my link to read a bit more about that). But the book he picked up next, at his big sister’s recommendation, he loved.

the lightning thief

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1) by Rick Riordan is probably the book/series that I most often hear turned kids into booklovers, or nonreaders into readers. Kyle had already gotten to the point of liking books, but these books brought out something else in him. He started book one at the beginning of August and by the beginning of the September, he had completed the 5th book. That’s 5 long books in about 5 weeks. And in reality, he read a couple other books during that time as well, as I tried to convince him to spread out the books to savor them.

Though we are both out of the target age range, my teen daughter and I recently read the first two installments of Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, since neither of us had read them. I think that I’ll get Kyle started on them soon, but I don’t see kids checking them out when I volunteer at the library. They don’t seem to show the endurance that Harry or Percy has.

The new policy for him as a 4th grader is that he only checks out books every other week in the library. Because of that, he’s allowed to check out 3. I’ve seen him (and other students) wander aimlessly through the stacks, and with no more time allotted, I wanted to prep him about some possible picks. I also suggested that he ask some of his friends to suggest books they’ve liked. He came home with 3 books and told me that he actually took my advice! He decided to read the Warriors series by Erin Hunter, so he asked his friend which of the series he should start with, and which was the first one. I’m not sure that these are new classics, but they do seem popular, and they have endured.

What do you think? What books or series are older siblings passing down to younger ones these days that are making the leap into new classics for kids?

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When in Doubt, Read it Yourself
{On Reading}

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As parents, we try to screen our children from media that we find unacceptable for their age, and it’s no different from books. We try to give an idea of content that might be objectionable for the age in our children’s book reviews, but since content varies from person to person, what seems okay to me for an upper middle-grade reader might not be okay for you (you can always leave a comment asking the reviewer about the specifics).

harry potterI remember when there was a lot of furor over the Harry Potter books. Some conservative Christians protested their inclusion in school libraries and classroom curriculum. My daughter was too young to read them herself at the time, but as she was already beginning to find her destiny as a confirmed bookworm delving into the Magic Tree House and the Boxcar Children, I knew the time would come when she’d want to discover Hogwart’s as well.

As a Christian myself (conservative, even), I wasn’t opposed to magic in general — after all, isn’t Narnia magical? and what about Oz? But I could understand some of the possible issues of concern. I had several adult friends who had already fallen in love with the bespectacled hero, so I bought the first two books before a trip one summer, so I could check him out myself. And it was fine. I was glad I hadn’t just blindly given in to the hype and taken the time to decide for myself. I’m not knocking those who choose not to read it, or don’t want their children to (though I don’t really see any cause for concern), but for me and my family, it was fine. I did make Amanda wait to start reading until she was in 4th or 5th grade. With the amount of time she spent reading, I knew that once she started, she could have zoomed through the books too quickly, surpassing her maturity level, and they do get more mature and more intense as they go along. Kyle is finishing third grade, and I’m considering him letting him read the first two this summer.

That was something I did right, but I only recently discovered something I did wrong.

Lemony-Snicket-The-Bad-Beginning-A-Series-Of-Unforunate-Events-Book-CoverI had taken a few negative and critical reviews/comments of Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events to heart. I thought they were sinister and inappropriate, so I told Amanda at some point that she shouldn’t read them. Even though she’s about to finish her first year of high school, we still enjoy reading books aloud, and oftentimes they are middle grade books that we both still enjoy even though we’ve aged out of them officially. When we were trying to figure out what to read next, she said, “You know, I never read A Series of Unfortunate Events, but I’ve heard they’re good.” She hadn’t even remembered that I had been the reason she had never read them. I had downloaded the first one on my Kindle at some point when it was a free title, so we got to it immediately.

We were immediately charmed and amused. Inappropriate? Creepy? Not really. Count Olaf is bad, but everyone knows he’s bad. He’s supposed to be bad. Lemony Snicket tells us he’s bad and the children are going to suffer from unfortunate events. We were enjoying the first one so much that when I saw the next one at a used bookstore for a dollar, I snatched it up, and we’re reading it now. I’m going to keep my eye out for bargains, and perhaps complete the series. This is another one that I might see if 9-year-old Kyle would like to start this summer. He’s a little tender-hearted, but he also has a great sense of humor, so I’ll just have to see how he takes the first one to see if now is the right time.

Tell me I’m not the only one. Have you ever forbidden something that turned out not to be so bad? Or maybe you’ve allowed something that you later found out more about and regretted that (I’ve done that too!)? Leave a comment and let’s discuss!

The Dark

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the_darkLaszlo was afraid of the dark.

These six words float on the page above the head of a little boy playing with vehicles on the floor in his house, as the sun is setting just outside his window. As he looks out at the oncoming evening, the flashlight face down on the floor next to him is in his line of sight, and is obviously something he likes to keep nearby. Though Laszlo does not look terribly frightened, there still is a slightly ominous feeling to the opening page. The awesome partnership of author Lemony Snicket and illustrator Jon Klassen in The Dark makes for an unconventional, yet wholly entertaining picture book.

Snicket, arguably best known for his A Series of Unfortunate Events books, doesn’t write typical kids’ books, which I discovered when I reviewed his picture book 13 Words a few years back (linked to my review). In The Dark, the story progresses along in a traditional manner, with poor little Laszlo encountering a problem with the dark early in the book, but the tone of the storytelling is unique to his work. Klassen’s signature illustrative style is the perfect accompaniment to Snicket’s word choice– both somewhat minimalist in style, but still conveying a lot of emotional depth.

I recently read this book aloud with a small group of kindergartners, and I gave a good amount of thought as to how “spooky” I was going to read it. Though not outright frightening in nature of the words or shocking in the illustrations, the story itself deals with a topic that some younger children might find a little bit scary based on their own personal feelings about the dark. These five and six year olds reassured me that they weren’t scared of the dark at all, but it was clear from watching their faces that some of them experienced the fun anticipation of not knowing what would happen next in the story as we read it together.

All is well by the end of the book, as Laszlo discovers the helpful side of the dark and feels empowered to handle a situation by himself. I happen to love picture books that are just a little bit different than the average book, and The Dark fits the bill perfectly.

Dawn’s picture book obsession benefits her younger children quite well, and by the time they’re ready to move out, she’ll be able to easily fill an empty bedroom with nothing but books. She blogs intermittently at my thoughts exactly.

Vanity Fare

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Cover of Vanity Faire by Megan CaldwellVanity Fare by Megan Caldwell combines two of my favorite things: cooking and reading. In this light novel, Molly Hagan is in a mess. Her husband has left her months earlier and calls to let her know that he has no job, her insurance is running out at the end of the month, and he won’t be able to pay her child support anymore.

As much as the snarky Molly is tempted to simply wallow in a pit of despair, she has her six year old son Aidan to consider. Taking her therapist’s advice, she moves one foot forward at a time, sometimes being knocked back and sometimes making progress. She’s lucky when a friend calls her with an offer for not just freelance work he occasionally provides her but a larger project with a bakery that will be opening, owned by a celebrity chef.

Watching Molly grow is fun, especially given her attitude toward life that so reflects my own. She has wit and stubbornness that I admire, and her friends are there to boost her up when she needs it. The phone conversations with her best friend Keisha are a hoot, and I love the nod to reality that Molly isn’t the only one with issues and that Molly needs to be there for her friends Lissa and Keisha in addition to them being there for her.

As Molly begins the marketing work for the bakery, defining its concept, she struggles with her personal life, too. Simon Baxter, the British celebrity chef, wants to date her, but she has valid reservations. She’s intimidated by his business partner Nick Harrison, but he’s the one who appreciates her son and who she turns to when she needs help.

The book moves along quickly and is a pleasant read. I appreciate the wit and the depth of characters Megan Caldwell has created. The story is rich with a many dimensions rather than focusing on a single issue as so many books do.

Many books I read begin each chapter with a quote or poem relevant to the book and chapter itself. Vanity Fare uses original language prior to each chapter, the name of a bakery item and the tongue in cheek description of it. It took me a few chapters to figure out what they were and why, and some of the descriptions and puns of the baked goods went over my head – apparently I’m not literary enough to eat at the new bakery – but they got better as the book went on. In a way, they reflected Molly’s confidence and abilities in the consulting position that she’d taken on.

Better yet was the end of the book. After so much discussion of luscious croissants and pies and other treats, I was pleased to see that the recipes for many of these were included in the back of the book, along with their tongue in cheek names and descriptions again. I would have loved to see recipes for each of the chapter named baked goods, but the five recipes that Emily Isaac of Trois Pommes Patisserie look delicious. Now that I’ve finished the book, I can’t decide which to try first, Much Ado About Muffins, Tart of Darkness, or Lord of the Tea Rings.

Vanity Fare is described well as “a novel of latters, literature, and love.” It is a pleasant novel, a relatively quick read, but there is some surprising depth to it with the multitude of characters and plots and growth of not just Molly but Lissa, Keisha, and Nick, as well.

We have a giveaway copy to send to one U.S. winner. Just leave a comment if you’d like to win! We’ll announce the winner on January 16.The giveaway is closed.

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In the interest of full disclosure, I receive a copy of this book for review purposes. I received no other compensation, and all opinions remain my own.

Written by Michelle who will definitely be cooking up something special from the recipes in the back of Vanity Faire.   See what else she’s cooking up on her blog Honest & Truly, and follow her on Twitter where she is also @HonestAndTruly.

 

All the Wrong Questions: Who Could That Be at This Hour?

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Fans of A Series of Unfortunate Events, your cups runneth over. Lemony Snicket is back, with a new book starring a kid named Lemony Snicket in yet another series of improbable, pun-filled, twisting and turning and somersaulting events (sorry…had to include the words series and events in there!) that will leave the reader giggling and delighted.

“Who Could That Be at This Hour?” (All the Wrong Questions), as you might imagine, concerns that bad habit many of us have of asking the wrong question–for example, instead of asking “Why would someone say something was stolen when it was never theirs to begin with?”, young sleuth Lemony asked instead, “Who could that be at this hour?” He also asks “Where is that screaming coming from?” and “Is it too late?” This leads him on a  wild adventure to the town of Stain’d-by-the-Sea, where the sea has receded leaving large forests of seaweed and rapidly drying ink wells. (that is, wells of ink)  Lemony has left two people who are not actually his real parents and joined his chaperone, S. Theodora Markson, who explains that the question “What does the S stand for?” is not the right question to be asking.

It’s all loads of fun. There are plenty of puns, lots of new vocabulary presented in the most painless way possible, and best of all, a new series of books by Lemony Snicket. I won’t bother recount the plot–it’s very strange–but regardless, it’s a quick, enjoyable read. Best of all, “Who Could That Be at This Hour?” is first in a new series. I’m hoping this one has 13 books too. This would be a great gift for the young reader in your life, especially if he or she enjoyed A Series of Unfortunate Events. My daughter Ilsa, who at 15 is beyond the typical marketing age of this book, was nonetheless really excited to read it, precisely because she enjoyed TSOUE so much when she was a bit younger.

I can’t promise that “Who Could That Be at This Hour?” (All the Wrong Questions) will teach you to ask the right questions, but I can recommend it.

The winner of our previous giveaways are:


Elizabeth loves the absurd, and therefore thoroughly enjoys the strange workings of Lemony Snicket’s mind. Learn more at her blog Planet Nomad.

Gift Guide and Giveaway Winners

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We had such a fun time sharing some of the products that we were able to preview with you. I hope that even if you didn’t win, you will consider some of these gifts for those on your lists.

You should have received an email asking for your shipping info. Please respond ASAP so that we can get your information to the sponsors so that they can send them out to you.

13 Words — Giveaway

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Are you familiar with Lemony Snicket? I have to admit that I was not, so I was a bit unprepared when I first opened his new picture book, 13 Words. I’m not sure what I expected, but what I found was something not like most other picture books.

Just as the title states, thirteen words are highlighted throughout the odd little story. Yes, I called it odd, although not with the connotation that I don’t care for this book. It is most definitely odd, and the story is not told in the format of a traditional story arc. It could be argued that it’s less of a cohesive story and more of a series of scenes with loose connections between them. With that understanding now, I would approach reading this book aloud in a different way than a traditional picture book, because truly, the emphasis of this book is more focused on the fabulous and fun use of language.

I’m a big fan of fun words, so to be able to read a book with my kids that emphasizes words like despondent, panache and haberdashery is a unique experience. While I first wondered about the storyline, the kids didn’t seem to care at all about the nontraditional format, and they giggled and pointed out the funny details in the beautiful artwork by Maira Kalman.

For a sneak peek at the book and its gorgeous artistry, check out the book trailer, and be ready to laugh:

If you’re looking for a picture book that stands out in the crowd for a unique approach to telling a story, attention to some uncommon words, and beautiful painted illustrations, look no further than 13 Words.

As part of our Gift Guide Giveaway, we are thrilled to offer a copy of 13 Words accompanied by a collection of 13 buttons featuring the 13 special words and illustrations from the book, and a limited edition (only 15 made!), original Maira Kalman piece of artwork! This signed, 5 1/2″ x 7 1/2″ piece is gauche on paper — similarly sized Kalman pieces start at $750. (U.S. residents only, please).

This giveaway is now closed.

Leave a comment here to enter.

Entries will be closed on December 3, and we will announce the winners on December 4. Please watch your email and check the site for your name, so that we can collect your shipping information to pass along to the publishers.

Be sure you’ve entered all the giveaways in our 2010 Gift Guide and Giveaway event.


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Dawn’s children anxiously await the new books that greet them every Christmas morning. Their holiday tales will be shared at my thoughts exactly.

2010 Gift Guide and Giveaway

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GiftBanner

It is the most wonderful time of the year — the time for making our lists and checking them twice, figuring out what goodies we hope get left in our stockings, and figuring out just the right gift for each person on our list.

Here at 5 Minutes for Books we want to help you out by giving you some great gift ideas for those on your list. We are going to feature books and toys and activities for kids as well as more universal gift ideas that could be perfect gifts for some of those people who you just don’t know who to buy for.

In addition, as always, we will be featuring some other great gift ideas (you can always check out that label by searching the archives by category in the right hand sidebar).

We will be posting new giveaways each day. All giveaways will be closed on December 3, and the winners will be announced on December 4. Check each individual post for the terms of the giveaway, including whether or not it’s open to U.S. only or Canada as well. Bookmark this post, because we will be keeping a running list of the giveaways so that you can click through and enter. Only one entry per giveaway per person.

All giveaways are now closed, but we hope you will refer to the posts as gift recommendations.


You can only enter each giveaway once per person, but we’d love for you to spread the word on twitter, facebook, via email or on your blog. The better our response, the more awesome prizes we can offer you in the future.

We’ve closed comments here to remind you to leave comments on the individual posts to enter.


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The Blue Umbrella

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PhotobucketAt ten years old, Zac Sparks is living happily with his loving mother—until she tragically dies after being struck by lightening. In no time, Zac is whisked away by two Aunties he has never met to a town called Five Corners. Things are strange and become even stranger when Zac notices lights coming from the roof of the store next to the Aunties’ house. As Zac begins to investigate, he finds a town full of secrets, and he discovers he is surrounded by both good and evil. Distinguishing between the two, however, is sometimes difficult, and Zac’s search for answers leads to a fast-paced adventure for all.

The Blue Umbrella, written by best-selling author Mike Mason, is Zac’s story. On the surface, The Blue Umbrella is an engaging adventure filled with mystery, suspense, surprises, and the battle between good and evil. It is a story that will keep young readers turning the pages with excitement. On a deeper level, this is a book with an allegorical dimension. Does God cause bad things to happen? Should we question God? How do our choices affect others? Is it okay to build yourself up by causing another’s demise?

The Blue Umbrella is a story that is being compared to the books in the Lemony Snicket series, the Narnia series, and the stories of Madeleine L’Engle. While I haven’t read all of these series, I can say that the Blue Umbrella series will be a hit with fantasy readers, particularly those who enjoy Christian themes. Although I felt the first few chapters started slowly, they set the stage for a fast-paced ride.

The Blue Umbrella is recommended for ages 9 and up, and it does include tense scenes and some very evil characters. Parents of children at the younger end of the recommended age group might prefer to use this as a family read-aloud; it would be a great discussion starter!

Until now, Mike Mason has been recognized for his nonfiction writing. With the The Blue Umbrella, he enters the world of children’s fantasy in a big way. I recommend this book to those who enjoy fantasy, both children and adults. I look forward to reading the next book in the series!

Lauren is a wife, a mother of two, and an avid reader. She blogs at Baseballs and Bows. Lauren thanks the B & B Media Group for providing the review copy of this book.

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