Disney's Oz the Great and Powerful as read and reviewed by my youngest daughter

This review is my youngest's 2nd review here on Peppermint Ph.D.  Her first review, Mosey's Field, can be found here.  

The youngest knows, as do my other daughters, that I have a hard time saying no to books.  

As a matter of fact, it's pretty impossible.  She constantly brings home those little Scholastic flyers and book fair invitations because she knows I'll write that check :/

I'm hoping over the summer you'll be able to hear much more from her as she works her way through her piles of books :) 

Disney's Oz the Great and Powerful by Elizabeth Rudnick

Disney, 2013

Source? Book order form from school

Format? paperback with 8 pages of movie photos

Cover? It's very mysterious bc there's a tornado and a balloon that can't stop with a magical world behind the tornado.

Title? It is very related to the Wizard of Oz because it has "Oz" in it.

Why? I've seen the movie and I just wanted to read the book and see how it is.

How did the book compare to the movie?  The book was not different at all from the movie.

What Now? I'm going to go on to Animal non-fiction books next.

Golden Lines

May looked up to see a man dressed in a turban and a long magician's coat standing in front of the curtain.  This was Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle Emmanuel Ambroise Diggs, otherwise known as the Great Oz (3).

Standing on the shore stood one of the most beautiful women Oz had ever seen (28).

Dumbfounded, Finley dropped Oz's bag.  "Bananas?"  he asked, as he gave Oz a long, cold stare.  "Oh, I see," the monkey began.  "Because I'm a money?  I must love bananas, right?"  That is a vicious stereotype!"  the monkey exclaimed.

"You don't like bananas?" Oz asked.

"No, of couse I love them.  I'm a monkey; don't be ridiculous," Finley said.

"I just don't like you saying it" (62)

"What is your business here?" the Gate-Keeper inquired.

"We bring supplies for the battle," Oz said. 

"I was told of no such delivery," the Gate-Keeper said, eyeing Oz suspiciously (121).

Summary
**spoiler alert...if you're worried about ruining the story, I'd stop about half-way...we're still working on the concept of not telling the entire story :p

Once upon a time lived a man named Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle Emmanuel Ambroise Diggs, otherwise known as the Great OZ.  He was really a bad man.  He was also a magician.  He would use wires and put doves up his sleeve.  Until one day a terrible storm came along.  He had a hot air balloon to fly him away from the storm, but that did not help him at all.  He flew straight into the storm.  He shouted out to the Heavens, "Please, let me live.  I promise I will be a good man."

Nothing happened after that.  He closed his eyes and then something happened.  He made it into the beautiful land of Oz.  He also met a beautiful girl named Theodora.  They had to defeat the wicked witch.  On their way there, they met a monkey named Finly.  They also met a little girl named China Girl.  Her hometown had been destroyed by the wicked witch.  They had seen that Oz had fallen in love with the nice witch Glenda.  Theodora had gotten really mad because she loved Oz.  Now she is only against him.  Theodora's sister Evenora gave Theodora a drink that would turn her into a witch.  Evenora described what it would turn her into one.  She looked at the cup and drank it.  She was now a witch.  Her and Evenora tried to rule the kingdom, but Oz, Finley, and China Girl stopped her.  Glenda gave them something in return.  She gave Oz a kiss on the lips.  Before you knew it, Oz was sitting on the King's throne.

What I Liked

Oz and Glenda kissed!!  

There are scary parts.

I liked how the story used magical creatures.

What I Didn't Like

How Theodora turned to her evil sister Evanora and became the Wicked Witch of the Wild West.  Theodora needed to tell Oz that she liked him before Glenda and not turn on him.

Overall Recommendation

My big sister Kendal would like this book because she likes a lot of mystery stuff.  I also think that kids should read the book before they go see the movie because I was going to, but I saw the movie first and that kindof spoiled some things.

***Why yes, she's my kid...why do you ask?? ;)

The Youngest and Me - Our First Book Review Together

I've been a reader all my life.

Really.

I grew up with books and magazines all around me all the time.  

My parents encouraged me to read and never censored what I read.

Seriously.

Obviously, I've followed this same pattern with my 3 daughters. 

My oldest is an avid reader, my middle daughter abhors reading, and my youngest enjoys reading narrative, but has a particular fondness for non-fiction.

Interesting huh?

I've always loved children's lit and have spent countless hours reading aloud both to students and my own daughters books I think are the best of the best.  I tend to enjoy the experience as much as they do :) I love doing the voices and the sound effects as much as they love listening to my silliness :p 

I am also "that aunt" who sends all my nieces and nephews books for birthdays and Christmas.  If you're related to me, your gonna get a book.

I love, love, love spending time looking through new releases and picking out the books I think fit each personality the best :) 

Yes, I am teased for this practice...how did you know?

But, I don't even care.

While my blog is not an academic blog and I don't wish to turn it into one, I've been doing some professional work related to the new Common Core Standards coming out for K-12 and have begun to delve back into what makes quality authentic children's literature, both fiction and non-fiction.  

The youngest is the last one at home, and she noticed that I had downloaded a few of the newer children's books onto my Nook and Kindle (mostly titles I'd gotten for free or on sale), and she asked if she could read them.

**Mommy smacks herself in the head right about here*

Um, yes. :)  

After she read the first few books, we had some short but interesting conversations about them.  I had simply been looking for possible future gifts when I realized I might have a blogging partner on my hands.  (Both my older daughters know I have a blog, but they only read when and if I send them a particular post...or at least I think they read then :P 

So, I asked the youngest how she felt about helping me review some children's lit every once in a while...

She was all about it...and very serious as you can see in the picture above that I sneakily took while she was reading.

I'm not going to try and schedule our reviews together because the last thing I want is for this time to become a job, but we'll post as often as we find books that are worthy of sharing :)

We're still working on our format, but here goes our first mother-daughter endeavor:

Worry Wart by Lisa Kildahl

Parables & Books LLC, 2012

Source? the publisher via NetGalley
Format? Ebook

Why?  If there's one thing we do well in our family, it's worry...we're professional worriers, sometimes to the detriment of our health.  I try to use any possible opportunity to talk about life and anxiety in a very realistic way.   What better method to open discussion?  A book.  What a novel idea :) (and yes, pun intended).

Golden Lines

The Youngest:  Most every day without a reason or a rhyme, Chloe would worry at the drop of a dime.

Peppermint:  Why do we worry thinking up thoughts that jumble and tangle us up into knots?

Summary
The Youngest: "It's about this girl named Chloe that worried about everything that she got a wart on her nose.  She worried about everything."  

Peppermint: What the youngest said pretty much covers it.

What We Liked

The Youngest: "I liked that it was rhyming"

Peppermint: The illustrations reminded me of claymation figures in the old Christmas specials, the colors are vivid, and I liked the rhyming as well.

What We Didn't Like

The Youngest: "Nothing"

Peppermint: I didn't like the ending...I wish there had been a few more pages of how Chloe overcomes her worry rather than just miraculously realizing that worrying wasn't worth it.

Overall Recommendation:
Check it out from the library :)

Junie B. Mini Reviews

I somehow missed Junie B with my older girls.  And, I never would've picked this series for my youngest because she is a 2nd grader and Junie B. is just starting kindergarten in the first book.

Thankfully though my 2nd grader checked Junie B. out of her school library, then checked more out of our community library and then asked to buy some at Books A Million.  We've been reading them at night for a little over a week.  I read a chapter and then my youngest reads a chapter...and we laugh and laugh and laugh together :):)

Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus by Barbara Park

Junie B. is off to kindergarten and is not happy about having to ride the bus.  She decides after the morning ride that she simply will not get back on the "stupid smelly bus" at the end of the day.  Junie B. hides in the janitor's closet until the frantic staff leaves for the day and spends the next several hours napping and then exploring the school after hours.

I just stayed there all bended up.  And I told myself a story.  Not an out-loud story.  I just told it inside my head.  It was called 'The Little Hiding Girl.'

I made it up.  And this is how it went.

Once upon a time there was a little hiding girl.  She was in a secret spot where nobody could find her.  Except her head was very tight.  And her brain was squishing out.

But she couldn't come out of her spot.  

Or a smelly yellow monster would get her.  

And also, some meanies with chocolate milk.

The end.

Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business

The second book in the Junie B. series finds our heroine welcoming a baby brother into her household.  Junie B. is completely caught off guard by her grandmother's comment about her baby brother being "the cutest little monkey I ever saw."  Junie B. begins collecting prizes from her friends in return for a chance to see her really truly alive baby brother...until...

Junie B. Jone! she hollered.  "Why are you wearing Grace's shoes?"

Mrs. sounded dangerous.

"Because," I said kind of scared.

"Because why?" said Mrs. 

"Because it's the rules," I explained.

Then Mrs. bended down very close to my ear.  "What rules?"

"The rules for who gets to be the first one to see my monkey brother," I said.

Mrs. rolled her eyes way back in her head.

Junie B. Jones and her Big Fat Mouth

Junie B. and her friends prepare for Jobs Day in Room 9.  What will Junie B decide to be?  A Superhero?  A  painter?  A locksmith?  Or all three put together in order to one up her friends.

I got off the bus at my corner.  Then I runned to my house speedy quick.

HELP! HELP! I'M IN BIG TROUBLE!" I yelled to Mother.  "'CAUSE I ACCIDENTALLY SHOT OFF MY BIG FAT MOUTH ON THE BUS! AND NOW I HAVE TO PAINT AND UNLOCK STUFF AND SAVE PEOPLE FROM DANGER! ONLY WHAT KIND OF STUPID DUMB JOB IS THAT?"

After accidentally finding baby Ollie's pacifier so her mom won't "lose her grip," Junie B. finally comes up with a secret job...one that will surprise her parents, her teacher and her friends...and especially the person who hold that job.  

This Junie B is funny and crazy...but also leaves you with a warm fuzzy feeling in your tummy :)

I'm 43.

And I love Junie B. Jones :):)

Thursday at the Library

Fancy Nancy The Dazzling Book Report

Ahhhh, Nancy...I'm still lovin' the vocabulary...and I think I've noticed my youngest actually using bigger words...?? or maybe I'm just dreaming??

Last night she was having trouble settling down for bed...when I mentioned that she really needed to go to sleep, she said,

"I'm trying, Mommy...but I'm really distracted."

:)

Nancy spends so much time on decorating her book report cover that she actually forgets to spend time with the BOOK...Ahem...I know quite a few students who seem to have this same disease...

However, as a lover of books, Nancy is devastated when she has trouble with the actual report part of her presentation. 

Nancy's lovely teacher, Mrs. Glass, gives her a 2nd shot at the book report and she wows her classmate audience.

And learns an important lesson...that I wish she'd share with my Comp I classes.

Please do not miss the comfy reading chair on the cover of this Nancy book...It is covered with book covers!!

Oh my!

Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat: Are you Waking Up?

This book reminds me of several favorite rhythm, songy books I've enjoyed with all three of my girls....The Napping House, I Went Walking...etc...

except it's about a little cat and his mom...and trying to get up in the morning.

very very cute...my youngest could read this one out loud and I let her...

We enjoyed this one because of the cats, but it is really written for a younger child.

I Love You, Stinky Face

I've heard of these "Stinky Face" books but this is the first time we've ever read one.

The storyline reminded me a lot of the classic Runaway Bunny...the child in this story asks his mom what she would do if he had all these animal, yucky faces and made all these monster noises...of course, the mommy will love him anyway.

I wasn't as fond of this one.

We'll stick with the Bunny.

One Fish Two Fish, Red Fish Blue Fish

A classic.

Ah, Dr. Seuss, a timeless book of rhymes and silly pictures...what kid doesn't love these books?

There's even a fish who drives a car!

My youngest is so proud that she can read most of these words...it takes a little while but she's so proud of herself when we finish.

Lovin' our library time... :)