Nancy Drew: The Secret of The Old Clock (Thing 2)

We read Nancy Drew: The Secret of The Old Clock by Carolyn Keene. It's about a girl named Nancy who is trying to solve a mystery. She is trying to discover if a later will was created by Josiah Crowley, who wrote an earlier will leaving money to a snobby family the Tophams. Nancy meets friends along the way and would like to help them. She believes that there is a later will created by Mr. Crowley and is trying to find it for her new friends.



I would give this book




because there was suspense and mystery. I would give this book 5 stars, but sometimes it seemed like it wasn't written as well as it could be.

The Secret of the Old Clock (Thing 1)

We read The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene. A girl named Nancy Drew finds out that a man who died had promised a bunch of people money, but never gave them any in his will. Convinced that there was a later will, Nancy sets out to find it.

What I liked: I liked solving the mystery as I read it, though it wasn't too difficult to figure out. I also liked Nancy. She was never mean and always looked out for other people.

What I didn't like: The book is very simple, which I'm okay with, but it was to the point where all of the characters had the same personalities (except for the antagonists). The dialogue was very formal and seemed unnatural to me. I've heard the later books are better, so I'm willing to give it another chance, but it was only okay for me.

I give this book

.  I recommend reading this with your kids/younger siblings/younger friends. It's a great book to read with younger kids, especially if you're introducing them to reading or mysteries.

Young@Heart (Thing 2)

We watched "Young@Heart." It's a movie about some elderly people who sing in a group called Young@Heart. They sing a variety of pop and rock music. It will make you laugh and it will make you cry.

I would give this movie




because it was funny and I LOVE music. I would have given it 5 stars, but I didn't like how it dragged out a little bit.

Young@Heart (Thing 1)

Our family watched the movie "Young@Heart." It's a documentary about a chorus of senior citizens (averaging the age of 80) who go around the world and sing rock and roll songs.

What I liked: Everything! :) They all had so much personality and energy. Watching them work hard to get everything about every song right was inspirational, especially when most of the members had health issues such as breathing problems or even cancer. You'll laugh and cry the entire way through. Some of my favorite parts were the music videos they made, such as "Road To Nowhere" by Talking Heads. and "I Wanna Be Sedated" by the Ramones. Though my absolute favorite performance that they did was "Fix You" by Coldplay. You can see it HERE, though I think the performance holds much more meaning once you've seen all the leadup to the show.

What I didn't like: Honestly, I don't think there's anything that could make this movie better. It's already so perfect.

I give this movie

 
  . I recommend it to anyone who loves a simple story and a good cry.

The Giver (Thing 2)

We read The Giver by Lois Lowry. It is set in a "utopian" society where there are no wars and everything is GREAT!! But after Jonas turns 12 that is about to change. The story will make you feel like you are there. Don't miss it!!


I would give this book



because it is exciting and enjoyable. 

The Giver (Thing 1)

We read The Giver by Lois Lowry. It's about a boy named Jonas who lives in a seemingly perfect world without pain or fear. When Jonas turns twelve, he's chosen to receive special training from the Giver, the only person who holds memories of what life is really like.

What I liked: I loved how this book made me think. A world without pain or fear? It seems pretty great at first (no wars, no fighting, perfect harmony, etc.) But you also don't get the good stuff, like colors and music. Nobody, except for Jonas and the Giver, feels anything: no love, no anger, no joy, no sadness. They only get dulled down versions of emotions. As a result, no one is able to love except for Jonas and the Giver. I'm so excited to see the movie!

What I didn't like: It takes a little bit to get into the book. There are a lot of long-winded descriptions and it takes a long time to get to the action. But once you get past the first half or so, there's a great payoff.

I give this book

.  I recommend it to lovers of dystopian, though I can assure you it's nothing like The Hunger Games.

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!

Wonder (Thing 2)

We read Wonder by R.J. Palacio.

We've been reading this on our road trip and on normal days. Now I want to share ten things that I like about this book.

1. It made me laugh.
2. It made me cry.
3. It has good characters.
4. It is a unique book.
5. It says A LOT about things I enjoy (Star Wars, video games, etc.)
6. I like how it has different characters' perspectives.
7. I like the main character, August.
8. I like how August's family is nice to him.
9. I like the book cover.
10. I like their dog.

In the book, one of his teachers teaches them about precepts and has the students make their own. I am going to make my own too.

"Live life the way you expect it to be, don't let anyone stop you from reaching the sky, and the sky is the limit."

I think that everyone at some point in his or her life should read this book.

I would give this book

because it is funny, sad, sweet and has A LOT of good characters.

Wonder (Thing 1)

Our family read Wonder by R. J. Palacio. Instead of a "normal" book review, we're going to write our ten favorite things about the book.

1. The sweet, funny, wonderful (and not so wonderful) characters.
2. The fact that the story is told from so many different perspectives.
3. The emotional parts that brought tears to our eyes (happy and sad ones).
4. The wise messages that could make the world a better place if we all listened to them.
5. The way you can get wrapped up in the story so easily.
6. The laugh-out-loud funny parts.
7. The simplicity of the book.
8. The never-ending surprises.
9. The end.
10. The way the author helped to teach me to never judge a book by its cover or a boy by his face. You might miss out on your only chance to meet a wonder.

I would give this book





for all of the reasons above and so much more. I can't compare this book to any other. It's one of a kind.

There was a teacher in the book that came up with a monthly precept. He asked the kids in the book to come up with their own precept, so I decided to come up with my own.

"Don't waste time, because there's no time to waste in the first place."

"The Help" (Thing 1)

Our family watched "The Help." I've already done a review of this movie (and the book) on my blog, so if you would like to read it, please click HERE.

I  would give this movie . It was sweet, funny, and inspiring. I highly recommend that you watch it.

The Help (Thing 2)

Last week we watched "The Help."

It's about three women. Aibileen is a black woman who is telling the story. She also works for a white person that sometimes treats her poorly and sometimes treats her nicely. Minnie is another black woman who works for a horrible white person. Then there is Skeeter, who is a white woman who wants to write a book. She has to interview black people about their experiences while working with white people. But she and the black people she are interviewing might go to jail because of it.

I would give this movie

 



because it is exciting and interesting.