1. In Robert McCloskey's Homer Price, what is the color of the dress that Miss Terwilliger wears in the giant ball o' yarn contest?
Robin Egg's Blue AND Pink. She unwound it to pad out her ball of yarn!
2. What is the very 1950's name of Henry Reed's best friend? Midge
3. What was the first mainstream audio CD sold in the US? Springsteen's Born in the USA.
4. What is appropriate apparel for librarians everywhere this coming January 18?
A Winnie-the-Pooh t shirt! It's the 130th anniversary of A.A. Milne's birth!
5.What is the state rock song of Ohio? Hang on Sloopy
Do children watch Saturday morning cartoons anymore? It was one of the few times that I watched as a child (Josie and the Pussycats was a particular favorite!), but my own children didn't watch much. Instead of letting 7-11 year olds watch cartoons, try giving them one of these books:
Bonnell, Lynne. Lawn Mower Magic.
EARC provided by Edelweiss' Above the Treeline.
The Willows have moved out to a somewhat remote house with a fair acreage. Derek misses his friends at his old home, and wants to get a train ticket and go visit, but money is tight. When the family lawn mower dies, Derek and his brothers and sister find an old rotary mower in the shed and start to tackle the huge job of mowing. It's much easier when they find that the mower is magic, and it happily drags them all over the yard, as well as over some hedges. Can Derek keep the lawn under control so the family doesn't have to buy a new mower, and he will have enough money for a train ticket?
Strengths: The second in a series (Hamster Magic is first) this was a fairly amusing Stepping Stone book vaguely reminiscent of the work of Ruth Chew. Since I have a rotary mower, I had to read it.
Weaknesses: Too young for middle school, and very weak on plot.
Hashimoto, Meika. The Magic Cake Shop.
Emma Burblee is a no nonsense ten year old who lies to bake and is very weary of her incredibly vain and self-involved parents. Her mother and father don't eat anything but carrots, have 80 step skin care routine, and care more about their business selling expensive hats than they do about Emma. When she disappoints them at her tenth birthday party, she is sent to live with her horrible Uncle Simon, who is a neglectful slob. The bright spot in her day is Mr. Crackle and his fantastic bakery. When she finds that her Uncle is in league with a villain who wants to force Mr. Crackle out of business by selling substandard bakery items fortified with "elixir of delight" that will make them irresistible, she has to find a way to stop him.
Strengths: The cover is SO pretty! Anything with cakes on the cover will get picked up, and this has an overall decent Roald Dahl/Lemony Snicket vibe to it that younger students might enjoy.
Weaknesses: While the extremely vain parents, horrible uncle, and magical baker started out not being too cloying, the level of whimsy got a bit much for me when sentences like "Well, why do't you and Albie plug in the blender and take care of the beans, squid, spleens, legs, sogs, and hegs while I deal with the tree, shick shack shree spizzle, and tea." (page 125) Really? This pushed it right out the middle school arena and down to elementary school for me.
Bonnell, Lynne. Lawn Mower Magic.EARC provided by Edelweiss' Above the Treeline.
The Willows have moved out to a somewhat remote house with a fair acreage. Derek misses his friends at his old home, and wants to get a train ticket and go visit, but money is tight. When the family lawn mower dies, Derek and his brothers and sister find an old rotary mower in the shed and start to tackle the huge job of mowing. It's much easier when they find that the mower is magic, and it happily drags them all over the yard, as well as over some hedges. Can Derek keep the lawn under control so the family doesn't have to buy a new mower, and he will have enough money for a train ticket?
Strengths: The second in a series (Hamster Magic is first) this was a fairly amusing Stepping Stone book vaguely reminiscent of the work of Ruth Chew. Since I have a rotary mower, I had to read it.
Weaknesses: Too young for middle school, and very weak on plot.
Hashimoto, Meika. The Magic Cake Shop.Emma Burblee is a no nonsense ten year old who lies to bake and is very weary of her incredibly vain and self-involved parents. Her mother and father don't eat anything but carrots, have 80 step skin care routine, and care more about their business selling expensive hats than they do about Emma. When she disappoints them at her tenth birthday party, she is sent to live with her horrible Uncle Simon, who is a neglectful slob. The bright spot in her day is Mr. Crackle and his fantastic bakery. When she finds that her Uncle is in league with a villain who wants to force Mr. Crackle out of business by selling substandard bakery items fortified with "elixir of delight" that will make them irresistible, she has to find a way to stop him.
Strengths: The cover is SO pretty! Anything with cakes on the cover will get picked up, and this has an overall decent Roald Dahl/Lemony Snicket vibe to it that younger students might enjoy.
Weaknesses: While the extremely vain parents, horrible uncle, and magical baker started out not being too cloying, the level of whimsy got a bit much for me when sentences like "Well, why do't you and Albie plug in the blender and take care of the beans, squid, spleens, legs, sogs, and hegs while I deal with the tree, shick shack shree spizzle, and tea." (page 125) Really? This pushed it right out the middle school arena and down to elementary school for me.
You have a rotary mower? We had one growing up and another in my early grownup years. Nothing like a rotary mower to make a real man out of you! Or, at least, make an Honorary Guy out of you.
ReplyDeletePS--Where in the world do you get it sharpened? And does Surly Teenage Boy use it?
Agh! Forgot the pink!
ReplyDeleteWell, I'm really a Henry Reed fan anyways...they don't make kids like him anymore, or maybe they never did and he's a figment of my imagination.
I am ashamed at myself about my poor trivia answers! :) I loved your questions!
ReplyDeleteI'm on the look out for great cake books, so sorry to hear that despite it's appealing cover, The Magic Cake Shop doesn't quite deliver :-(
ReplyDelete