Tag Archives: mini-review

Readathon: I Kill Giants, by Joe Kelly

Posted on April 10, 2010 by Thistle

Quick summary: Barbara is a troubled kid who seems to live in a fantasy world where she is very powerful and kills giants. Really, she is fighting against a metaphorical giant at home… My thoughts: I struggled with this one … Continue reading →

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Readathon: Looking for Bapu, by Anjali Banerjee

Posted on April 10, 2010 by Thistle

Quick summary: Eight-year-old Anu is very close to his grandfather (Bapu) and doesn’t know how to cope when Bapu has a massive stroke and dies. He thinks if only he can do something – say the right words, perform the … Continue reading →

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Readathon: The Magician’s Elephant, by Kate DiCamillo

Posted on April 10, 2010 by Thistle

Quick summary: A young boy seeks answers when a fortune teller comes to town. She tells him he must follow the elephant to find his sister. The boy thinks she can’t be right – there are no elephants in his … Continue reading →

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African Sojourn, by Uwe Ommer

Posted on February 23, 2010 by Thistle

I read this book as a companion to my Enchantment: Senegal book. It’s a book that is supposed to highlight the beauty of the female African body. West African, specifically (but not just Senegal). Unlike Native, the photography book that … Continue reading →

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Native, by Mona Kuhn

Posted on January 14, 2010 by Thistle

I spent a lot of January studying and reading about Brazil, and supplemented all this by reading Native, a book of photography by Mona Kuhn. Kuhn is from Brazil and returned to it after being away for twenty years. The … Continue reading →

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Tales From Outer Suburbia, by Shaun Tan

Posted on January 12, 2010 by Thistle

This is a picture-book collection of 15 short stories. So far, this is my least favorite book by Shaun Tan, and that’s really just because it’s a SS collection. Like other collections, I felt rushed and overwhelmed reading it, even … Continue reading →

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Wake, by Lisa McMann

Posted on December 30, 2009 by Thistle

Short summary: Ever since she was young, Janie has suffered from a condition that forces her to experience other peoples’ dreams. When she moves from observer to participant, however, her life spins drastically out of control. I’m in two minds … Continue reading →

Posted in 2009, Prose, Young Adult | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll

Posted on December 29, 2009 by Thistle

There’s no need to tell you the plot to this. First, it’s famous enough. Second, there isn’t really a plot. In fact, that’s one of the things that bothered me so much. I don’t understand this book at all. Maybe … Continue reading →

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Gray Horses, by Hope Larson

Posted on October 29, 2009 by Thistle

Noemie is a French exchange student in Onion City. She goes through the usual adjustments to a new culture and a new language, and makes a new friend named Anna. At the same time, she’s followed by a photography student … Continue reading →

Posted in 2009, Visual, Young Adult | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Readathon: The Dreaming (vol 1), by Queenie Chan

Posted on October 24, 2009 by Thistle

Twin sisters Amber and Jeanie arrive at an exclusive boarding school in the Australian outback, where their first impressions are not great. There are secrets in the air, and they’re not allowed to claim twinhood because the woman in charge … Continue reading →

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