Loralee Evans's Blog: Loralee Evans, page 35

Janitors by Tyler Whitesides

Janitors (2011) by Tyler WhitesidesJanitors by Tyler Whitesides is a fun story for middle grade readers about the adventures of a couple of kids, Spencer and Daisy, who discover the secret world of the janitors at their school.

It turns out that Marv Bills and Walter Jameson do more than mop floors. They're fighting toxites, little creatures invisible to most people unless they've been exposed to magical glop, that want to sap the smarts out of kids. Marv and Walter's problem though, is that while they want to help the kids, the BEM, Bureau of Educational Maintenance, has withdrawn support for them, as if the BEM actually wants kids to get stupid. Not knowing why the BEM has withdrawn support, Marv, Walter, and a handful of other "rebel janitors" continue to use glopified equipment, struggling to fight back the toxites on their own. But when the BEM start coming after them, the kids want to step in and help.

What will happen when the BEM start coming after the kids?

The book is a bit long for its target audience, but I think it would be an enjoyable read for most upper elementary aged readers.

Pillage by Obert Skye

Pillage by Obert Skye is a novel written for middle schoolers and high schoolers
Pillage (c) 2009 by Obert Skye, and something which older elementary aged readers would enjoy as well.

Beck Phillips goes to live in the quaint town of Kingsplot with his estranged uncle when his mother dies. There, he begins to uncover dark family secrets, and discovers a strange ability to get plants to do what he wants. Not only that, but when he goes exploring in places where he's been specifically told not to go (Beck has a thing about disobeying authority) he discovers another talent that he didn't know he had, but that is a bit more dangerous than being able to control plants. Of course it involves dragons.

Without giving away spoilers, the book is not one that dragon lovers would enjoy because of certain events in the book that were painful to witness. But it is well-written for its target audience, and young people would enjoy it.

For myself, I had a hard time liking Beck after the first scene. He wants to get out of a few days of school, and tries to do this by releasing a hive of bees into the school. Did he not consider that some students might be so allergic to bee stings that his doing so could be fatal to them? It might be realistic for a fifteen year old not to consider such consequences, but that fifteen year old isn't any more likable to me because of the lack of understanding such consequences. He knew enough to know it would cause difficulty and disruption, even pain to others, and that's enough to make him an unlikable character to me.

However, to the target audience, the opening scene could be very funny and enjoyable, and many readers would even be able to relate to Beck. After all, what high schooler or middle schooler wouldn't want to get out of school for a few days?

Like many books for young people, the adults in the book tend to be bumbling idiots, harsh bullies, neglectful, dismissive, or crazy. Something that usually turns me away from such books. But it wouldn't bother the target audience. After all, using such tropes leaves the way open for the young protagonists to step in and save the day. Which is what young audiences like.

The main conflict of the story seemed to take longer than it ought to develop, which might try the patience of its target audience, but there was enough action along the way to keep teens interested. There are twists and turns that I didn't anticipate, and that young readers would find delightfully frightening. These twists and turns are what helped me overlook the things I didn't like, and kept me interested in the story despite not being a member of the target audience.

The end leaves it obvious that a sequel is coming, yet wraps up the present conflict in a satisfying way. 

Beowulf by ???

BeowulfBeowulf, written possibly around 700 A.D., is the story of the title character, Beowulf. He is a hero from the land of the Geats who hears rumors of a terrifying monster wreaking havoc in Denmark at the castle Heorot, ruled by Hrothgar. Feeling an obligation to help, Beowulf sets off for the land of the Danes.

From there, the audience follows Beowulf through three main battles in the story. Beowulf's battle with Grendel, his battle with Grendel's Mother, and his battle with a dragon at the end. The story was originally written in Old English, and there are multiple translations into modern English.

I see Beowulf as a Christian allegory of the age old battle of good against evil. There are references to Christianity throughout, woven through with old Pagan beliefs that would have held over from before the coming of Christianity to Europe. I personally enjoy the story, and recommend it to people who enjoy mythology, and stories of heroes who fight against difficult odds despite the danger and pain to themselves.

The Magician's Nephew by C. S. Lewis

I've reviewed The Magician's Nephew on this blog  before, but I enjoy C. S. Lewis's work so much, that I want to read it over, and over again. Books like his, as well as Tolkien's books, especially The Hobbit, and To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee are books that I simply can not tire of reading. Magician's Nephew, The (c) 1955 by C. S. LewisIn The Magician's Nephew, not the first book in The Chronicles of Narnia, but the first chronologically, Polly and Diggory, girl and boy protagonists, embark on an adventure when they are tricked into touching magic rings by Diggory's unscrupulous uncle, Uncle Andrew. On their adventure, they find themselves in Charn, a dying world, and encounter Jadis, the cruel and ruthless witch who, against their wishes, accompanies them. Then joined by Uncle Andrew who is more than willing to be Jadis' yes man, as well as a good-hearted cab driver Frank and his horse Strawberry, the children find themselves in Narnia. But now with Jadis here in Narnia determined to wreak havoc, the children are recruited by Aslan the Lion to fetch a silver apple from a certain garden far to the west in order to plant a tree that will protect Narnia from Jadis' evil for many years. 
Will the children be able to accomplish their goal? And will Diggory get his wish to bring a healing apple from Narnia to save his dangerously ill mother? Read the book to find out!
The Magician's Nephew is a wonderful book for children and adults, and I enjoy reading it now as much as I enjoyed reading it as a child.

Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Farmer Boy (c) 1933 by Laura Ingalls WilderFarmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder follows the adventures of little Almanzo Wilder between his 9th and 10th years as he goes to school, watches his teacher deal with school bullies, and works alongside his family on their farm in New York state.

Farmer Boy is the 2nd book of the series about Laura's husband's childhood.

Like other books written by Laura Ingalls Wilder, the book doesn't have a story question, end goal, or plot, it simply follows Almanzo through various adventures in chronological order. The writing is simple enough for children to read and understand, yet vivid and descriptive as well. Each chapter works as its own short story, and that is the magic of the book. The story shows us how people lived back in the 1800s, and gives us a glimpse of a life when things were a little tougher, yet a little simpler, and people were happy with what they had. Almanzo, his brother and his two sisters, for example, are ecstatic Christmas morning when they wake up to find presents in their stockings. Just their stockings, not a room full of wrapped gifts. Yet, they're happy and contented. He and his family work hard for what they get, and while he may not have everything someone else might think he needs to be happy, Almanzo is. He's happy with his family, a boughten cap he gets for Christmas, and a full plate of food!

I enjoyed reading this story when I was young, and I enjoyed listening to it on cd just recently. I recommend this book to both children and adults who would enjoy an easy read about life in the 1800s.

Smallfoot- Movie Review

There are a few slight spoilers in this review.
Smallfoot (c) 2018 directed by Karey Kirkpatrick etc.
Smallfoot was a fun movie for both kids and adults, and which I enjoyed. I feel I should say that some people might see it as an attack on religion, because of the many false beliefs that the Yetis hold onto, including the belief that "Smallfeet" don't exist, which we "smallfeet" know to be not true. I can understand why some people would see it that way, but I don't. I see the underlying message as being that it's okay to find things out; that real truth isn't something to fear; that learning facts about the world around us is not just okay, it's great. In other words, curiosity didn't kill the cat, curiosity educated the cat! A person can know all sorts of facts and truths about the universe and the world and still believe in God, and understand that having and living a moral code (even when it's hard and others are pressuring us not to follow our consciences) leads to positive consequences.

The yetis, in particular Mego and his gang of friends, were fun, and the way he developed his friendship with the main human character Percy despite their language barrier was funny and entertaining.

I liked that Percy had a change of and heart, and learned the value of friendship and integrity, even when it made him look bad to others.

The movie is rated PG for a few scenes of mild peril.

Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, Performed by Patrick Stewart, Audiobook Review

Christmas Carol (c) 2006
performed by Patrick StewartThe audiobook, Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, performed by
The original text is not read word for word, but what is left out is mostly the purple prose, and other wordy, reduntant stuff that Dickens and other Victorian authors were fond adding into their stories. The meat of the original story is still there, and Dickens' rich, descriptive word choice is also still there.

Patrick Stewart does a wonderful job bringing the story to life, and adding voice, depth and personality to the several characters of the story. This is an audiobook that I highly recommend! It was published by Simon and Shuster Audio in 2006.

Christopher Robin- Movie Review

Christopher Robin (c) 2018 by Marc ForsterChristopher Robin, directed by
Having married, survived the horrors of the Great War, and become a father, Christopher Robin is working at Winslow Enterprises, a company that makes suitcases, to support his family. He has lost his imagination, and is more often than not, working hard to impress his ungrateful supervisor, which takes time away from his family.

After having been order by his supervisor to work all weekend to find a way to cut costs, or cut employees, Christopher Robin doesn't know what to do. This unexpected assignment has taken him away from a trip to the country he had planned with his wife and daughter, and the two have to go without him. Feeling bad about the situation, he's sitting on a bench in a small park, when he hears a familiar voice. Who could it be, but Winnie-the-Pooh, come from the Hundred Acre Wood, looking for him! Thus begins an adventure with Christopher Robin and his Hundred Acre Wood family, and which eventually involves his wife and daughter, as well!

But what is the group going to do about that annoying supervisor who wants nothing more than to fire Christopher Robin, and his whole department? Watch this great family movie to find out!

The movie is rated PG for a few scenes of mild angst, and in my opinion, is appropriate for the whole family! Ewan McGregor and the rest of the cast do a great job, and I highly recommend it.

Dragonwatch Book 1 by Brandon Mull

Dragonwatch book 1 (c) 2017
by Brandon MullThe first Dragonwatch book by Brandon Mull is an exciting continuation of the adventures of siblings Kendra and Seth, who began their adventures in the first book of the FableHaven series. In this story, Kendra is 15, and Seth is 13. This time, the two siblings and their grandparents are dealing with some recalcitrant dragons at a dragon reserve called Wyrmroost. (I'm guessing the spelling, because I listened to the audiobook.) Celebrant, the dragon king and his fellow dragons are tired of being kept in the reserve where they were put by humans because they'd been a danger to the humans in the past (burning, looting, etc.)  The dragons claim that they should have the right to roam free. But the people who are in charge of the reserves, of course, disagree.

I find this story interesting, because unlike many books where the antagonist doesn't have a clear motive for what he does, I can actually see the dragons' point of view. The situation reminded me of incoming Europeans confining Native Americans to reservations. Though the motives are different, and so are the species. It isn't a matter of cultures clashing, or me being greedy for someone else's land. It's about me not getting eaten by something one hundred times bigger than myself. It's about raw survival. So I see the real necessity of keeping dragons away from humans; because from the destruction that dragons can do, I, as a tiny, chewy human, don't want them roaming free. Neither do Kendra, Seth, their grandparents, and others. But Celebrant doesn't like to be confined. While I can see the point of view of the dragons as a group, I really don't like Celebrant. He's a plain all around jerk. I am certain that with his character, he would be a jerk in the best of situations. He's the kind of guy who is looking for a reason to be mad, and if he didn't have the excuse of complaining about being confined to a dragon reserve, he'd find something else to be mad about. I don't see him as a noble but wronged leader, like Sitting Bull, or Crazy Horse. He's just a bad leader all around, and his fellow dragons would be better off picking someone who  wasn't as inherently mean-spirited, and was better at negotiating. He belongs in dragon prison, not leading other dragons.

The book, like Brandon Mull's other books, is very well written, and the characters believable and multi-faceted. I highly recommend it to young readers of fantasy, and to adults as well. It's the kind of book that that can be read and enjoyed by more than just its target audience. And I look forward to the other books in the series!

The Wizard of Oz presented by Duchesne High School

Duchesne High is currently performing The Wizard of Oz and will be performing it tonight and tomorrow night at 7:00 pm both times. I attended on Saturday, and enjoyed the performance very much. The play is based on the book, written in 1900 by L. Frank Baum. The main character, Dorothy, and her dog Toto, need to find their way home after her house is picked up by a tornado and set down in the land of Oz. Glinda, the good witch, tells her to seek the help of the Wizard of Oz in order to get back home, and she sets off on the yellow brick road to find him. On the way, she meets the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodsman, and the Cowardly Lion who decide to help her on her quest. But they are hindered by the Wicked Witch of the West. Will they get the Wizard's help? Or will the Wicked Witch of the West get to them first?Duchesne High's Drama department has done a great job, and I recommend the play!