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Sunday, May 13, 2018

#IMWAYR - Sharing The Week's Favorites

          Visit Jen at Teach MentorTexts and Kellee and Ricki at UnleashingReaders to see what they've been reading, along with everyone else who link up.  

Finished! - From my #MustRead list:  Scythe - Neal Shusterman



         Two memorable characters, others as well, plus those despicable ones that make one nervous, hurrying past their scenes in order to calm down. This is a tough one to share without giving away the many surprises. It's a feat of world-building that hopefully will never happen, yet some of it, in the most gruesome of ways, has already happened, like the wars and murders of those "others" in countries where they are not wanted. This new world, in our world's future, takes science to a different level, for even when one ends up "deadish", off to the recovery center they go to be healed. Small wounds are healed by what are called "nanites". We now live in "the age of mortality" but population growth and extreme science cause over-population, thus a world that needs "scythes", those ordained to kill, to "glean" with compassion. It is a world of immortality.If you like science-fiction that takes what is "now" and gives it a nudge into future history, this is the first of the series. There is still good in this world, as we say about today, too. But there is also bad. "Nature deemed that to be born was an automatic sentence to death, and then brought about that death with vicious consistency." 
           Somehow when this book came out, I didn't read it, so months passed and it became one of those books I knew about but not one I needed to read, until last week. I took my 3rd-grade granddaughter to our favorite Indie store and she chose this one, plus the second one, too. Last week, she brought it to me saying, "You have to read this, Grandma, it's great." And so I did, and I loved it, too. Rozzum, or Roz, a female robot ends up a survivor from a shipwreck that dumped hundreds of crates of other robots in the ocean, but she washed ashore, and when curious sea otters pushing her "on" button, she came alive and decided she wanted to stay that way. Through years of work, which you can read about here, Peter Brown wrote an amazing tale of a robot that became beloved by the animals on a small island, when at first they were alarmed by a "monster". It's a different kind of survival story, but one that shows how much caring for others makes a difference in the way others think of you. There are moments of celebration, of sadness, but most of all, many moments filled with love. I can't wait for my granddaughter to finish The Wild Robot Escapes!



       The magical blue illustrations by Ashley Crowley take this boy on his cat into the equally magical story on the night of the blue moon where "anything can happen" and it does. Wouldn't it be fun if we had these wonderful experiences often? Yet, as you will read, sometimes the wishes that come true need a reversal, a good thing to discuss with those who read the book!


       A young boy happily plays until a knock on the door. It's a bear which he promptly sends away: "Go home, Bear." The bear returns again and again, sometimes with a flamingo. Clearly, this boy does not want company, enjoys his own. But when he finally, emphatically says "no" to the bear, the bear does not return. Discovering what happens next will make a great conversation. Perhaps we do want company sometimes. I love the illustrations by Dan Taylor, using bright and bold colors plus just the right bear and boy pose amid varied places that fit each feeling. There's a feeling of real compassion in this story.

     Oh, this is a lovely and dreamy book, of sadness that is helped quickly by three sweet animals. Isabel has been left at the grandmother's home she's never visited, and in the night, an owl, a frog, and a mouse come to her window. Their meeting, and the kind invitation to come out for a walk helps Isobel talk about her family and what's happening in her life. They walk across the fields down along a creek, visiting, with the owl and frog sharing about the plant life, the stars, and the mouse in various ways trying to get a bit of food. Rafael Yockteng's illustrations are gorgeous, showing the beautiful details of a blue/black night. My favorite is when a breeze comes up, and these four 'new" companions cuddle together. Finally, morning comes, and a colorful world awakens while Isabel's grandmother waits for her

        Things are not always what is expected when there's a new telling of an old story. Jed Alexander's wordless story makes this statement so, so true. Surprises await as each page is turned. That wolf is very big, but is its expression frightening or does it mean something else? There's much to see and examine and turning back pages to check on what we thought we knew was a good thing to do! I read this with my six-year-old granddaughter, who does know the old tale. She loved this one. Especially wonderful are the beautiful trees in this forest that sometimes had a few things behind them.  

          Now reading - Thunderhead, that next book after Scythe by Neal Shusterman. It has started even more complex than the first! 

Happy Reading!



26 comments:

  1. My students LOVED The Wild Robot and now we are reading The Wild Robot Escapes! Roz and Brightbill are very important characters in my room!

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    1. Oh, happy to hear about your students loving Roz and Brightbill, Carrie. It was the happiest surprise to read this. Now I'm waiting for Ingrid to bring over the next one when she finishes! Thanks!

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  2. I am so glad that you liked Scythe. I've stuck it on two different reading challenges I've got for this year and really need to actually get to it. I dislike dystopian fiction and have been struggling to make myself read it, but your description does intrigue me.

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    1. Different opinions about Scythe and its world-building are out there, but I enjoyed the way the underlying message is to do good. It may not be for you, Elisabeth. I really like sci-fi! Will wait to see what you think!

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  3. I loved The Wild Robot! So much to think about in terms of what makes a family. I haven't read the sequel yet, but it's definitely on my To Read list. Have a great week!

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    1. Glad to hear from you about The Wild Robot, too, Jana. Hope you have a good week, too!

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  4. Both The Boy and the Blue Moon and But the Bear Came Back seem like books my four-year-old and two-year-old daughters would love. Thanks for putting them on my radar!

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    1. I think they would, Katie, enjoy them when you can! Thanks!

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  5. I really enjoyed The Wild Robot. I am intrigued by Red. I have enjoyed some of Shusterman's books, but think I can't read anymore futuristic things right now.

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    1. Shusterman does bring new paths to travel, that's for sure. Fun to hear about The Wild Robot. Thanks, Crystal!

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  6. I hope to squeeze in Scythe this summer. I've been proven to actually like SciFi if it's well-written, so I'm looking forward to making space for this one. And would you believe that I just checked out The Wild Robot from my library last week?! I somehow missed the boat on that one, too. But I'm excited to dive in after reading so many positive reviews! Have a wonderful reading week, Linda!

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    1. Oh, how wonderful to have The Wild Robot now! Hope you enjoy the sweet story! Thanks, Shaye. Enjoy your week, too!

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  7. I was a little late to the Wild Robot party, too. I read both the first and the second back to back. Love the magical illustrations in the Boy and the Blue Moon.

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    1. I would be reading that 2nd one now if I wasn't waiting on the granddaughter! What imagination from Peter Brown. And yes, the illustrations in The Boy In The Blue Moon are marvelous. Thanks, Lisa!

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  8. I just finished reading The Wild Robot Escapes - It is a wonderful sequel. Don't miss it. Red sounds intriguing - It is going on the TBR stack

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    1. I won't miss it, and will read it soon! Red is so interesting, and the illustrations are awesome. Thanks!

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  9. I love that you're waiting for your granddaughter to finish The Wild Robot Escapes so you can have it :)
    Scythe is my July mustread book. Still need to read my April mustread.... Yikes!

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    1. I'm not going very quickly with the "must reads", but hoping summer will slow down a bit. Isn't it great that Ingrid and I can read the same books? I love it! Enjoy Scythe when you can. Thanks, Michele!

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  10. Will be in the lookout for On the Other Side of the Garden.

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    1. It's good, Earl. I hope you like it! Thanks!

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  11. I am not sure why I haven't read Scythe, but I know I should. My students LOVED Thunderhead. I hope you had a marvelous week, Linda!

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    1. Thanks, Ricki. There are so many books that you read for your classes, so I imagine you simply run out of time! Enjoy it when you can!

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  12. The Jairo Buitrago title caught my eye - I so so love international titles. I've stacked Red as well and But The Bear Came Back. I am saving my reading of Scythe and Thunderhead until the third book officially comes out, then I shall binge-read them. :)

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    1. Thanks, Myra, hope you find one of them that you love! Happy reading!

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  13. I just couldn't finish Scythe. It isn't that it isn't a brilliant book, but it is a difficult read because of the violence, and I was also reading We Were Eight Years In Power. It was all too much!
    I loved The Wild Robot and am waiting for the sequel.

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  14. Like others here, I was pulled in by your description of Red. I was one of the people that loved Scythe, but clearly it won't be a book for everyone. I managed to borrow The Wild Robot Escapes from my wife, since I did not have the budget in the library for it. It was very good. Maybe since my Book Fair, I will be able to purchase it (any maybe Red, but that list is very, very long). Thanks for the post!

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