Author/Illustrator: Ian Falconer
Book Summary: Olivia and her family take a vacation to Venice, Italy. After spending a few adventurous days taking in the historical sights, riding a gondola, feeding pigeons and eating lots of gelato, Olivia wants to get a souvenir. She considers a mask and perfume, but decides they are just not her. Just before it's time to leave, Olivia settles on a rock from the bell tower in the Piazzo San Marco, which leaves a lasting impression on Venice.
Book Review: Olivia fans will love her latest adventure in Olivia Goes to Venice which takes her across the ocean to Italy. The adorable, spunky pig takes delight in all her experiences. She is "very pleased" to be searched for weapons at the airport. She is both excited and relieved to find out there is no shortage of pizza and ice cream in Italy. Seeing the Grand Canal is so "life-changing" that she needs several gelatos to recover. Ian Falconer fills the pages with photos (some digitally enhanced) of Venetian landmarks and plenty of comic relief.
Interest Level: Pre-K - 1st grade
AR Level: 2.7 (worth .5 points)
Lexile Level: 520
Profanity:
None
Potentially Inappropriate References:
None
Potentially Inappropriate Behavior:
None
Parental Concern Rating: 0 out of 5
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Diary of a Wimpy Kid - The Ugly Truth
By Jeff Kinney
Book Summary: Growing up is hard and Greg Heffley is about to find out just how hard. The baby egg experiment, boy/girl parties, the "talk" from grandma, stinky pits and P.E. showers are all a part of Greg's junior high life in the newest edition of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. The only thing missing is Rowley, who for some unknown reason is not speaking to Greg anymore. Greg can't even remember why, but that's Rowley's problem because Greg is determined to replace his best friend and get through the school year without him.
Book Review: No one does slices of tween-age life better than Jeff Kinney. Kinney covers it all in the fifth Diary of a Wimpy Kid, this time revealing the ugly truth, growing up stinks. Avid readers of this book series will not be disappointed as, true to Wimpy Kid style, this edition has no shortage of butts, pimples, and farts. However, parents may pause over the edgier content, which lightly covers puberty. Greg and his classmate have to endure "Advanced Health," and the same sex ed video he's sure his dad watched thirty years ago. "I'm not going to describe everything that they showed in the video, because it was actually pretty disgusting. If you ask me, some of that stuff doesn't belong in a classroom," writes Greg. The good news is, if your child doesn't know anything about sex, he won't learn it from this book, and if he does, well, he won't learn anything new.
Interest Level: Grades 3 - 8
AR: 5.5 (worth 3 points)
Lexile: 1000
Profanity:
None
Potentially Inappropriate References:
Farts
Butts
Puberty
Potentially Inappropriate Behaviors:
Farting
Rioting in the classroom
Parental Concern Rating: 3 out of 5
Book Summary: Growing up is hard and Greg Heffley is about to find out just how hard. The baby egg experiment, boy/girl parties, the "talk" from grandma, stinky pits and P.E. showers are all a part of Greg's junior high life in the newest edition of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. The only thing missing is Rowley, who for some unknown reason is not speaking to Greg anymore. Greg can't even remember why, but that's Rowley's problem because Greg is determined to replace his best friend and get through the school year without him.
Book Review: No one does slices of tween-age life better than Jeff Kinney. Kinney covers it all in the fifth Diary of a Wimpy Kid, this time revealing the ugly truth, growing up stinks. Avid readers of this book series will not be disappointed as, true to Wimpy Kid style, this edition has no shortage of butts, pimples, and farts. However, parents may pause over the edgier content, which lightly covers puberty. Greg and his classmate have to endure "Advanced Health," and the same sex ed video he's sure his dad watched thirty years ago. "I'm not going to describe everything that they showed in the video, because it was actually pretty disgusting. If you ask me, some of that stuff doesn't belong in a classroom," writes Greg. The good news is, if your child doesn't know anything about sex, he won't learn it from this book, and if he does, well, he won't learn anything new.
Interest Level: Grades 3 - 8
AR: 5.5 (worth 3 points)
Lexile: 1000
Profanity:
None
Potentially Inappropriate References:
Farts
Butts
Puberty
Potentially Inappropriate Behaviors:
Farting
Rioting in the classroom
Parental Concern Rating: 3 out of 5
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