Ntctiawc 2005 blog

Posts Tagged ‘sun’

I first saw this on a shelf a couple years back and was intrigued by it but hadn’t picked it up to read it until my 8 year old insisted that it was an awesome story and that I’d love it. So, with him continually asking how I liked it, I read Artemis Fowl.

When asked by my wife about the plot, my best quick answer was that it is sort of an “evil Richie Rich carrying out a dastardly scheme against the world of fairies.” (For those unfamiliar with Richie Rich, he’s the super rich kid with tons of fun gadgets and crazy adventures to save his family/friends/world). In this case, the rich kid is 12-year-old Artemis Fowl, and his motives are less altruistic.

Style
The writing was well done. It was written very simply and straightforward which was good considering the audience. It was something that a young reader could pick up and push through without getting bogged down by the language. The writing and dialog was natural and flowed well. Overall, very nice.

I have only 2 gripes about the writing itself:
1. Numerical consistency. Specifically, the phrasing “[something happened:] in as many [amount of time:].” You’ve likely heard this phrase before…along the lines of “He fell on his butt three times in as many seconds.” Which means he fell on his butt 3 times in 3 seconds. Colfer uses this phrasing enough that it got distracting to me, especially the times when he used it without a good frame of reference or without numbers. I don’t have the text with me to provide an exact example…but the memory I have is something like “he passed out again in as many minutes.” The numerical reference “again” isn’t really concrete (can be alluded to as it being 2 since it’s the second time) and the timeframe mentioned didn’t fit based on everything that happened in between.
2. Swearing. This is a book presumably for an audience of young kids. Through the first ~2/3 of the book, the author introduced a fairy swear word and used it a handful of times. The word itself is meaningless an
Sierra Tools Retractable Sun

Water for Elephants”
A Novel, Written By Sara Gruen

Book Review by Jay Gilbertson

Who, in their right mind, doesn’t like the circus? If you answered “yes,” then this book is for you. If you answered “no” then this book is for you too. There is something for everyone in this tremendously well-researched novel of schizophrenic madmen, a possible murderer in pink sequins and a towering heroine who happens to be addicted to lemonade. What could be more fun?

A depression-era circus can be the best place to be if you’re Jacob Jankowski and you just buried your parents, found out they mortgaged everything they owned to send you off to veterinary college and ultimately you had nothing left to lose.

Some of the central themes of this page-turner are to follow your instincts, stay true to what you believe in and try to survive no matter what. It’s the what part that kept me flying through the book. The story shifts back and forth from Jacob at ninety (or ninety-three–he’s not sure) to his incredible life on the train with the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show On Earth–the circus! By incredible, I mean that there is a constant fear-factor woven underneath every nuance, every situation is rubbed raw in not ever being entirely sure of just what the future holds, or even if Jacob has one. That dread is dolled out in buckets-full by the head honcho of Benzini Brothers–Uncle Al–who can have you “red-lighted” (tossed off the train) for any number of indiscretions, or simply to lesson the load. The incredible part is that, in the end, Jacob not only manages to become the circus veterinarian, he also gets the girl, a bereaved dog, one elephant (Rosie) and eleven horses. Who could ask for more, you ask? Jacob Jankowski, that’s who.

Then there are the animals. A team of “Liberty” horses, lions and zebras and llamas, giraffes, chimps, panthers, and Rosie–the elephant–the Polish elephant no less. The elephant that, like all elephants, drinks far more water than anyone cou
2010 Fiesta Sun Cherry

Having lived in the South during the l950’s -’60’s, the book is all too familiar. I can well remember what “white girls” were allowed to and not to do. Fortunately my Grandfather was a friend and self-appointed lawyer for people in the black communities and therefore I had opportunity to know some of these ladies and hear some of the stories of injustice.
My husband’s family had a colored maid, Viola, and she was dear to the entire family and responsible for using the hairbrush on him many times. Discipline was part of the job, just like hugs and sandwiches. She was a second Mama to the chilren.
I found this book to be so lifelike and it took me back in time. It was hard to put down and I was so sorry to leave the company of these fine ladies when the book ended. Prejudice is one thing – unfairness without justice is another! I hope the author will continue the story in a second book.

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