Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I waited years to read this story because I usually don’t like science fiction. However, it is one of the best books ever written. I understand it won several of the most prestigious awards given to science fiction books. Although the story was not written as a children’s book, the main character, Ender, is only six when the narrative begins and about twelve when it ends.

Card makes you think about the world we live in. The reader has to question how we really treat children, and how we act toward anything that is different. For children who are exceptionally bright, Ender can serve as a hero and a warning. This book makes you think.

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All American Girl by Meg Cabot

Meg Cabot is one of my favorite writers. She writes about teen girls we can relate to. This story is no different.

All-American Girl by Meg Cabot


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Samantha Madison is a normal, shy girl until she saves the life of the president of the United States. Suddenly, she is forced into the spotlight at school, in the press, and anywhere else she might try to go. As a matter of fact, she find attention everywhere except for where she wants it, home. Of course, being around the president might not be all bad if you decide you like his son.

Meg Cabot has a talent for taking normal teens and putting them in extraordinary circumstances. This book is as good as her others. Cabot creates a remarkable set of believable characters to carry the reader through the story. This story is fun for teens, preteens, and adults.

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Hank Zipzer: Holy Enchilada!

Holy Enchilada! by Henry Winkler


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Hank Zipzer is a forth grade boy with a lot of personality. He isn’t perfect, has interesting pets and cool friends. Children can relate to a character that can’t always do everything right. In this story, Hank has trouble making enchiladas because he doesn’t understand the fractions in the recipe. It is a cute story about a boy who makes a mistake and has to own up to it. We learn about friendship and responsibility while laughing. I can see how elementary school students could fall in love with this character.

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As a writer, I try to read books in the genre I like to write. I am currently working on chapter books, so this book helped me to better understand what kids today want to read. Honestly, the second or third grade student the writer intended this story for would have enjoyed it more than I did, but I still felt it was a good book.

Holidays, Resolutions, and Stuffy Noses

I fell off the planet for a few months, but with the holidays and such I suppose I wasn’t the only one. Now I am returning to find complete chaos where I left merely disorder.

My last entry was before Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s. I hope everyone had a lovely break and had a chance to enjoy family.

The house now echoes with a cacophony of bells. I tried to keep the cat inside, but once it learned to use the dog door, those attempt were futile. Before long, it was jumping the fence and exploring. He caught small animals until we put a bell on its collar. The bell worked beautifully until the weather dropped below freezing and decided to stay for weeks. The animals slowed down and the cat didn’t. In a week’s time, he had caught: two birds (one we were able to save), two squirrels, and a vole. Something had to be done. Perhaps it is a bit excessive, but he now wears a collar of seven bells and has not brought another “gift” home.

When the cat is calm, the house is filled with the sound of children. Who could ask for a more beautiful sound? (Provided the sound occurs prior to eleven o’clock.) Unfortunately, my youngest son has given up sleep. He is a very creative child and has wonderful excuses as to why he can’t sleep. One evening he informed me he was a droid and droids don’t sleep. Another night he came to my room after midnight to let me know that his bed had “boinked” him out of his room and he would not be able to sleep in it. Then, of all the wonderful luck, he turned up polka-dotted. We went to the doctor for vaccinations and he received his second chicken pox shot. The doctor told us that one in twenty kids gets a chicken pox like rash from the shot and it looks like we are one of the lucky ones. I’m not sure how much more luck I want.

As is tradition, I have tried to come up with a list of resolutions for the year. For some reason it has been very difficult this year. But I have resolved to blog at least once each week and read three books every week. I will be reviewing most of these books on this blog. Of course, as resolutions usually go, I am already behind. I have six books for January instead of twelve, but I will post reviews very soon.

I also hope to be a more productive writer. I want to train myself to write every day and submit more of what I write to publishers. Obviously I need to make these goals a little more concrete and measurable. I am working on it.

I hope everyone had wonderful holidays and exciting resolutions. If you have a minute, leave a comment and let us know what you have resolved to do this year.