Apollo 13 (Thing 2)

We watched the movie "Apollo 13." It's about some astronauts who go into space to land on the moon, but something happens. . . . Something breaks on their ship and they have to survive in space. Everyone at Mission Control is trying to save them. Will they be saved? Will they not? You should watch it!



I would give this movie

because even though I knew the ending, it always kept me on the edge of my seat. I would have given this movie five stars but it felt like it dragged on a little bit.

Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library (Thing 2)

We read Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein. It is about a kid who loves games, but mostly games created by Mr. Lemoncello. When he and a bunch of other kids get sent to a library for a lock-in a game begins. They are the pawns of the game. They have to run around and find clues to escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library.
 
I would give this book
 


because it was funny, exciting, and I love games. 

Apollo 13 (Thing 1)

We watched "Apollo 13." It's about an astronaut (Jim Lovell) who ends up on a rocket to the moon (Apollo 13). Something breaks on the rocket, and the astronauts are forced to survive with only the supplies they have in the rocket with them and get back to Earth safely.

What I liked: The intensity of the situation, getting to see not only what was happening on the rocket, but what was happening back at the space station and at the astronauts' homes. The movie is based off of a true story, so if you know what happens in the end, it might not be as exciting for you as it was for me (I didn't know what actually happened until the movie ended).

What I didn't like: The technology of the rocket and trying to fix everything on it could be very confusing at times. I didn't get all of the terms they used, and I felt like we were pausing the movie a lot to say, "What? Why is everything so cold? How is that going to help them?"

A little bonus fact for you, towards the end of the movie when Jim Lovell and the other two astronauts are strapped in the rocket, a cameraman is visible in the corner of the screen. Somehow nobody caught that until the movie was released!

I give this movie

. It was a great way to teach history and had you on the edge of your seat the whole time.

Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library (Thing 1)

We read Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein. It's about a boy named Kyle Keeley who loves games: board games, video games, any kind. His hero, Luigi Lemoncello, is the most famous game maker in the world. So when he finds out that Mr. Lemoncello is the one behind the building of the new town library lock-in event, he knows he just has to enter. Kyle is one of the lucky twelve kids that get to go to the library and participate in the game that Mr. Lemoncello has created. The game is simple: Be the first one to escape the library and win tons of games, all designed by Mr. Lemoncello.

What I liked: I loved the whole concept. The plot was unique and the riddles weren't so tricky that they baffled me to the point where I felt exhausted, but they were just hard enough that I felt energized to figure them out myself. Mr. Lemoncello was hilarious, and after meeting the author at a local book event, it was pretty obvious that he based the character after himself.

What I didn't like: The characters were pretty cliched. You had your jocks, your video game heads, your bookworms, your awkward nerds, the rich snobs, the ditzy cheerleaders, etc. Admittedly, Haley Daley didn't fit the stereotypical cheerleader mold in the end. She actually proved to be very clever and crucial to the plot.

I give this book

. (My actual rating would be 4.5, but I can't give halves with the star graphics). It's a great family read for kids of all ages. If you love games and riddles, this book is for you!