A Net in Time

Curriculum and book reviews, faith, homeschooling and more!

Raincoast

Review: A Dog’s Purpose

By 2 Comments

Out in the theatres now is the movie A Dog’s Purpose.

So I can’t say I was really surprised when I was sent “A Dog’s Purpose” (the book) to review.   Kind makes sense to promote both book and movie at the same time eh?   🙂

I read Ellie’s Story a while back and thoroughly enjoyed that book, once I got into it.  It was a nice story about a dog and her person, a dog with a job to do, a dog with a purpose in life.   It’s a bit unusual reading a book from the dog’s point of view, but once I got past that… a good book.

So when I was given A Dog’s Purpose I was admittedly curious to see if I would like it. I have to admit, it was interesting story.   Would I like a book, meant for adults, written from the dogs’ point of view?

Well.. I have to admit, it was a nice story.   It was.

I struggled though.   I dislike the idea of reincarnation..and having a dog live, die, a dog live, die and so on throughout it’s life just didn’t set well with me.

If I could have separated out the separate stories about the dogs’ and their lives and somehow managed to have them interconnect without the reincarnation bit I more than likely would have enjoyed the book more.

It was very funny in sections… seeing how a dog might interpret what we are saying to them and how disappointed they might be at missing out on a cookie.   It was intriguing to see a dogs perspective to their family being in peril, or hurt, and how they just might see their “job”.   Of course it is also the personification of dogs and the failure to see that dogs are NOT people.  Seeing things through their eyes also helps make that apparent.  Dogs are not people as much as we want to personify them.  

As it was I can say “nice overall story, but not one I would read again”.
Makes me wonder how they’ll end up turning it into a movie.  🙂

Would I recommend it?
If you are able to separate the idea of reincarnation and simply enjoy a story from a dog’s point of view, complete with the humour contained therein, then yes.   If you cannot, then I would recommend giving it a pass. 

Author: W. Bruce Cameron
Publisher: TOR
Pages:: 335
Size:  7.56 x 4.63
Book for adults
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books

Amazon.ca: A Dog’s Purpose: A Novel for Humans

Amazon.com: A Dog’s Purpose: A Novel for Humans

Review: Undefeated

By 8 Comments

I am so not a sports person it’s almost laughable.. well though I really shouldn’t say that.  I enjoy watching soccer, and seeing my lad and hubby do archery, and seeing my son’s improvement in Karate brings joy to my heart.

But reading sports oriented book…not really my cup of tea.

So imagine my surprise when this book “Undefeated” captured me completely.   I started reading the book and simply didn’t put it down (except when I HAD to…one needs to be safe while driving) until it was finished.

Undefeated is the story of the Carlisle Indian School football team, back when the game was just starting.  I never knew the start of football (can’t say I ever really cared) but boy oh boy was it a rough and tough, let’s potentially be killed game.   Not at all like the clean cut game that we see now-a-days with full protective gear, rules that are enforced, and various safety measures taken.   Games change as people take action to maintain the joy of the game, whilst protecting the young men who play them.   This book did a good job of spelling out the why and how some of those changes were made.

Steve Sheinkin does an excellent job of portraying the difficulties of life in the Indian Schools both in terms the deliberation of the administrators of the schools (whose aim was to force assimilation into white culture) and the harsh realities of being a student in those schools (who would rather have stayed with their families).  He did so in a manner that didn’t sensationalize either end.    It was simply difficult and continues to have repercussions among Native Americans to this day.

What kept me spell bound though … was the writing of the story, of the seeing how these Indian boys reacted to the pressures exerted upon them… the school, the racism of the day, the hard work, just the hardships of life that were thrown upon them.   These boys acted with a grace and dignity so often was found lacking in their opponents. 

This book captured my thoughts, spoke to me of the history of my southern neighbours, and enlightened my imagination to how people can live above how they treated.   There was indeed a nobility to be found among these young men.

Fighting hard.
Pride in their victories.
Stolid in their defeat.
Battered by the world around them.
These young men proved their mettle in the world of men in their day.

Jim Thorpe was an interesting boy… by today’s standards you’d say he was all jock, not wanting to look at books or do his studies, only wanting to be out playing sports or running on the land.   A lad (and later a man) with a determination that was set deep within.   He would train, he would win, and he would persevere…and he did. 

Winning in football, winning at the Olympics, standing by what he knew to be right, and being loyal to his friends.   This was Jim Thorpe.

This book speaks mostly about Jim Thorpe, but also talks about his football coach Pop Warner.   A selfish, egotistical man, who knew how to play football, who bent his will when needed to the needs of his team, who struggled to understand the students he worked with, and looked out for himself in the end.  He always thought with pride on his Carlisle Indian School Football Team.

Throughout the book were pictures of the history of Thorpe and football.

What other reasons can I give you for getting this book yourself?   

  1. It would be a great book to give your youth, to ask them to do a book report, or have conversations with them about the themes…how they would preserve under these situations, what their solution to the Indian problem could have been, and such like, even discussing how they might have reacted to the danger of early football.
  2. HISTORY…it’s part of the history of this world, and if you are American, it’s part of the history of your land.   It’s not an easy part in many ways, but in others, it’s a glimpse of what strength of character people can have.
  3. It’s a good read.  It just is.  My hubby was so surprised at how quickly I went through this book, and how much I enjoyed it.  “It’s not really your type of book hun”.   It really isn’t, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.   I’ll be keeping it for my lad to read when he gets a touch older. 

 
Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team.
Author: Steve Sheinkin
Roaring Brook Press
6.56 x 9.26 
288 pages
Ages 10-14 years

Reviewed for: Raincoast Books.

Three Middle School Books

By 2 Comments

Today I want to take a moment to talk to you about three middle school books I’ve recently had a chance to review.

First up is.. what I thought was a touch of an odd book..The title is Secrets of the Dragon Tomb.The characters were interesting and the story was a clever mystery and had twists and turns that kept me alert, but I still thought… it’s an odd book.   A mystery wrapped up in a fantasy world.  

The  setting is high society Mars.  Strange
clockwork machines,. Pterodactyls gliding through the sky, automatic
servants hard at work, and in the
north, the great dragon tombs hide marvels of Ancient Martian
technology.

Twelve-year-old Edward Sullivan has always dreamed of becoming a spy ….
Instead, he spends his days keeping his eccentric family from complete
disaster.  BUT THEN his family is kidnapped.  Edward is off to save them. He discovers that spywork is a bit more challenging than he had imagined. . . .

This book was written by  Patrick Samphire and illustrated by Jeremy Holmes.

Recommend it?  I think so.   It’s oddity is kinda appealing.   It’s not fine literature, but it was entertaining seeing how this eccentric family ended up working together to save the day.

 Patrick Griffin’s Last Breakfast on Earth.   Written by Ned Rust.

Mr. Rust introduces us to Patrick, the middle child in a family with seven children.   It’s a busy household with a boy in the middle of it who liked science… who could have guessed that such a love would get him into such a mess of trouble?

Alternate realities exist!  Earth – Ith.  Celebrate the odd, teach the expected, be plugged in at all times, or not.   Meet the proscribed rules, do what needs to be done.   or hold on…

Perhaps one should work to save the world?   Yeah, work to save the world and have the biggest adventure of your life.

Recommend it? This book intrigued me.  🙂   It was a fun read, and I think most middle schoolers would get a kick out of it.

Wolf Keepers by Elise Broach.

Take two children, who form an unlikely alliance, one secure in her family relationship, the other not, the setting… John Muir Wildlife Park.   Add a mystery…something is happening with the wolves at the zoo.   Strange noises and happenings at night…the wolves are dying and no one knows why.  Add the intrigue of John Muir and his lost cabin..can it still be around?

Two snoopy youth, a fast moving vehicle, Yosemite Park, a mystery solved.  History explained.

Recommend it? I have to admit, my son and I loved this book.  Well written with excellent character development.  Good cliff-hangers.  Great story line that left room for questions and considerations…it’s good to see a book make a lad think.   I so enjoy watching that.

So there you have it, three very different from each other books….but all with their own intrigues to them.   Depending on what your middle schoolers like to read, these three books just might fit the bill eh?

All these books were sent to me courtesy of Raincoast Books.

Review: Let’s Explore Series

By Leave a Comment

You know how sometimes you get a book to review and you think to yourself…man, I wish I had these when my (insert child’s name) was into these types of books?

Well that was my response when I received the Let’s Explore books from Lonely Planet Kids.   The books are Let’s Explore Safari, Let’s Explore Ocean and Let’s Explore Jungle.

I love these books.
Seriously.
I wish I could do them but.. I’m too old AND I’d rather save them for younger hands than mine to work through.

They are NOT cookie cutter books.  You know, when you get a series and you can pretty much say what’s going to happen from page to page?   Not so with this series… different puzzles, different facts, different ways of presenting the information, it makes them interesting.

Each book open with Marco and Amelia about to head out on a new adventure.

Then through a series of sticker pages, puzzles and activities the reader is led to learn a variety of information about the safari, jungle or ocean.

The pages are bright and colourful, drawing the eye in.

There are over 250 stickers in each book with plenty of pages to put them.   Where the stickers are put is not dictated, leaving the user free to place them wherever desired.  In the back of the book there is an answer sheet which is great if one gets stuck on one of the puzzles or activities.

The stickers are, for the most part, great for smaller hands, but also interesting enough for older hands.

Let’s Explore… Jungle (Lonely Planet Kids) by Lonely Planet Kids (2016-02-16)
takes us into the jungles of South America learning about the flora and fauna.

 Let’s Explore… Ocean (Lonely Planet Kids) by Lonely Planet Kids (2016-02-16)
learning about sharks and other oceanic life, drawing a seahorse and more.

 Let’s Explore… Safari (Lonely Planet Kids) by Lonely Planet Kids (2016-02-16)  takes us to the plains of Africa where we can explore the big five, visit Victoria Falls and more.

 Geared for ages 5-8, Lonely Planet Kids has done a lovely job of helping children learn more about the ocean, jungle and safari.  They have done up a number of other books as well, be sure to check them out.   Rainforest Books graciously sent me these three books so that I could give you my honest review.

Just in case you missed it, I think these books would be a lovely addition to any house with younger children.. sticker, puzzle, learn as you work the activities.   So much colour and fun to be had.

Review: Class Pet Squad

By 4 Comments

You know the show Wonder Pets?
If not, check this out:

Classroom pets that prove to useful and have a variety of adventures.

If your children like that show and/or that type of story, let me introduce to you Class Pet Squad: Journey to the Center of Town.   From the moment I started reading this book I thought….ooh.. what’s that children’s show that my son used to watch.   Hubby supplied the name after thinking it through for a while.  🙂   For this review I received a soft cover readers’ edition book, courtesy of Raincoast Books.    This book was written by Dan Yaccarino.

My son, age 10, is beyond the level but oh.. it’s a nice little easy chapter book for children and their parents to enjoy.

There are several things that I like about this 134 page easy chapter book.
It’s loaded with pictures.   In my copy all the pictures were in grey-scale. I am told “final interior will print in two-colour”.  But for your young readers, the pictures nicely help to tell the story.
Not only are there tons of images throughout the book, it is also printed in a larger font, making it easier for the reader to follow the story well.
Isn’t that a great font size for younger readers?   Makes it so much easier to read.  My 10 year can read smaller print, but I find when he’s reading a book with unfamiliar words he likes to use a magnifying glass to increase the font size. So having a larger print size for early reader books make SO much sense to me.  🙂
Other than the “nice to have stuff” what did I like about the book itself?
First off the characters grew and changed, it wasn’t just an adventure story, but a story of listening to others and choosing to make better decisions.  Learning to see the needs of others and not just the larger picture.
Secondly I liked the determination, to despite the odds against them, to finish the task set before them.
At the end of the book a new friend was made who helped them out of an unexpected conflict.
It was a good little book, animals on a mission to help someone they feel responsible for.  Simple fair for your early chapter book readers.
Social Media Links for Raincoast Books are as follows.

https://twitter.com/raincoastbooks
https://www.facebook.com/raincoastbooks
https://instagram.com/raincoastbooks/
https://www.pinterest.com/raincoastbooks/
http://raincoastbooks.tumblr.com/
https://plus.google.com/+raincoastbooks/