The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik

The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik by David Arnold

 If you read or listen to only one YA fiction book this year, make it this winner of AudioFile Magazine's  Earphones Award, The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik .

You can read my complete review on the AudioFile site. Without giving too much away, I can safely say that this one is definitely mind-blowing. Loveable, quirky Noah Oakman has a relatively good life with his parents, his little sister Penny, and his twin best friends, Val and Alan—until the night when everything (except his strange fascinations) changes. This first-person narrative will take you deep into the suddenly changed world of the kind and introspective Noah Oakman. Even strings of text messages between Noah, Val, and Alan crackle with emotion or humor. Every one of the lesser characters is a star in his own right. Stellar writing, stellar narration! I could listen to it again!

As a side note, many will appreciate Alan, not because he is a gay character, but because he is a fully-developed and integral member of the cast of characters who just happens to be gay, the perfect foil to his dry, iconoclastic sister Val.

Fans of Glory O'Brien's History of the Future by A.S. King will likely love Noah Hypnotik.

Paramount Pictures is developing a movie version of The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik (details here).  You simply must read it first!  I don't think a movie will do it justice (but I'd definitely go to see it).

Words, words, wonderful words!

Here are two books that are beautiful celebrations of words and books.  Enjoy!

At a recent "family reading night" event, I was looking for a short book to read to begin the evening.  Lucky for me, this one had just arrived on my desk a few days earlier:

• Joyce, William. 2012. The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore. Ill. by Joe Bluhm. New York: Atheneum.

The book is wonderful, but to truly appreciate it, you must see it all. The website, the film (only 15 minutes long and readily available on the web), the app!  The film won the 2012 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. 

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore Trailer from Moonbot Studios on Vimeo.

Here's the app ad:


And although it's hard to follow all that, another book celebrating the power of words and worth mentioning is

• Wimmer, Sonja. 2011. The Word Collector. English translation by John Brokenbrow. Madrid: Cuento de Luz.

Beautiful!

Read the Kirkus review of The Word Collector.

Tuesday odds and ends

A few odds and ends here  - hopefully, you may find something useful.

A head-scratcher:

• Why is Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days coming out on August 3, with an unofficial title of DWK 3?  I can see why they'd like to release it in the summer because of the storyline, but The Last Straw is book three, not Dog Days.  No matter, I guess.  Kids will like it, but it will annoy the die-hard fans, I think.

 

A tech-helper:

•  Not at all book-related, but if you're mourning the demise of Picnik for creating promotional materials, etc., take heart - PicMonkey may just win you over. Give it a try.

 

A couple of things to bring a smile:

• Check out this Non Sequitur comic from May 13, 2012.
• And don't miss the winners of LT's first Edible Book Contest! See them all here.

BTW, I keep all of my reviewed books (more than 500 of them) and others in my LibraryThing account.  You can search my books by date, title, author, "stars," etc., by accessing my LT library. http://www.librarything.com/catalog/shelf-employed/yourlibrary You're welcome to stop by and browse.

 

Mr. Popper's Penguins

Atwater, Richard and Florence. 2011. Mr. Popper's Penguins. New York: Open Road. 

(first published in 1938)
Review copy provided by NetGalley.

I checked out this 1938 classic for several reasons. The movie was just released, it's summer reading season with Newbery Medal and Honor books always in high demand at the library (I prefer to recommend what I know), and after hearing a radio interview with the founder of Open Road Media, I wanted to experience what they have to offer.

So here are my few comments on all of the above.


Fortunately or unfortunately (please tell me which) I didn't get out to see the movie (though I definitely made time for HP and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2! - it was great!).  If  you did get to see Mr. Popper's Penguins in the theater, please share your thoughts in the comments. Meanwhile, I'm waiting for the DVD.


Mr. Popper's Penguins was a Newbery Honor book in 1939. Times (and children's books) seem to have been simpler then. In my humble opinion, based upon the relatively few older Newbery titles that I've read, there is either a greater level of sophistication in the writing of today's juvenile fiction or the preferences of the esteemed librarians choosing the awards has changed much over the years.  That isn't to say newer or older books are superior, just different.

This particular version of Mr. Popper's Penguins, is an e-book published by Open Road Media. They appear to have struck upon a great idea, making classic books available digitally with enhanced content, in this case, "never-before-seen archival material from the authors' estate," or in more common parlance, period photographs of the Atwaters and brief biographical information. Open Road's offerings are available through the usual digital content providers (Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, etc.).  I don't see any Open Road offerings from my library's e-book consortium, but they are listed on the publisher page, so perhaps some Open Road titles will be forthcoming via public library download.

Jane Friedman, once the CEO of Harper Collins is the CEO and Cofounder of Open Road Media, a new entry into the brave new world of e-books and digital content.  You can listen to an NPR interview with Ms. Friedman here.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Just a quick post for this New Year's Day -

My daughter and I went to see The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader tonight.  I reviewed the book back in 2009, so it wasn't fresh in my head, but all in all I think the movie was fairly faithful to the C.S. Lewis story.  There was some evil green mist (why is evil mist always green?) and a "dark island" that neither of us remembered, but otherwise, the plot was as we remembered.  I thought that the 3D wasn't really necessary, but my daughter thought it was a nice touch.

So, if you've got one day of vacation left and you're a fan of the Chronicles of Narnia, seeing the movie is not a bad way to kill 112 minutes.



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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows movie (Part 1)

It's been too long since I've been to the Leaky Cauldron. I just found out that the new HP7 trailer is up! Check out the trailer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I, and all things Harry Potter at the Leaky Cauldron.



If you haven't read The Deathly Hallows is a while, it's time to read it again! And of course, it's time to ask for a vacation day - November 19th!

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Jabberwocky musings

In 9th grade Algebra, I had a very peculiar teacher. He once offered the class the opportunity to memorize and recite a poem in lieu of an exam.  Not being a fan of Algebra, I naturally took him up on his offer. (If I remember correctly, I was the only one who did!)  And so, in honor of National Poetry Month, I present Lewis Carroll's, "Jabberwocky," quite likely, the only thing I remember from 9th grade Algebra.

JABBERWOCKY
(from Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, 1872)
Illustration by John Tenniel

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

So why do I bring this up?  Because I finally went to see Tim Burton's  Alice in Wonderland (Disney 2010) in digital 3D.  On the ride to the movie, I recited "Jabberwocky" from memory, but my audience (a teenage daughter) was, sadly, not impressed.  She might have listened, however, if she had realized that the plot of the movie is the poem!  The Jubjub bird, the vorpal sword, the Bandersnatch - they all make appearances in the movie, which, of course, culminates in the events of the frabjous day. 

The movie is a departure from the books, but it was a thoroughly enjoyable and true to the spirit of nonsense in Carroll's books.  Johnny Depp was superbly "mad," but with a large dose of human frailty that rendered him immediately likeable. Mia Wasikowska's performance was reminiscent of the innocence and petulance of the original Alice, with a dash of adult courage and bravado.  Fans of the Harry Potter movies will surely enjoy Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange) as the Red Queen and Alan Rickman (Professor Snape) as the Blue Caterpillar.

And finally, I have to note the MPAA rating, which tickled my funny bone.  How often do you see a PG rating for "fantasy action/violence involving scary images and situations, and for a smoking caterpillar"?


Great movie!

For an interesting story on the premise that Lewis Carroll's Alice books were actually a statment on the state of mathematics in the 19th century, read or listen to NPR's Weekend Edition story, "The Mad Hatter's Secret Ingredient: Math" (March 13, 2010)


Read a poem this month and commit it to memory. (Everyone should know at least one poem and one joke!) You'll never know when you might need it.

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Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes

Last night I had the pleasure of seeing the new Warner Brothers interpretation of Sherlock Holmes.

An older friend of mine warned me that the movie does not measure up to the original. Although he did refer to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, I think perhaps, that he was recalling the original screen version of Sherlock Holmes, played by Basil Rathbone in the 1930s and 40s - a tamer portrayal than the current incarnation, to be sure.

In my opinion, however, the current film version does justice to Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock, who first appeared in print in the 1890s. Robert Downey, Jr. is alternatingly brilliant, seedy, humorous, indulgent, depraved, and eccentric. The setting, too, is authentic, featuring a squalid, industrial London, dotted with the enclaves of the “haves,” the Grand Hotel, Parliament, upscale restaurants. (My daughter did point out that the exterior views of the Houses of Parliament appeared to be modern images with an overlay of horses and buggies and other period accoutrements. I didn’t notice.) Watson, played by Jude Law is perhaps a bit more dashing and vigorous than Conan Doyle’s original (it is Jude Law after all), but the chemistry and humor between the two is pulsating and energetic.

Also in keeping with the original stories, are two recurring characters, the wily and beautiful Irene Adler, played by Rachel McAdams, and the unseen and mysterious arch-villain, Professor Moriarity.

The movie is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some startling images and a scene of suggestive material. (more humorous than suggestive)

If you prefer your Sherlock Holmes off–screen, I suggest The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes (2005 by Leslie S. Klinger), a hefty volume with extensive notes, historical background, photos, drawings, and a chronological timetable.

Or if you prefer audio, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes I, read brilliantly by David Timson, and produced by Naxos Audiobooks.

Sherlock Holmes in any format is suitable for teens and adults. I'm heartened that the movie has increased the circulation of Sherlock Holmes books at the library. If you've never read one, do. They're short and brilliantly written in the old style of detective novels - fantastical crimes solved through deductive reasoning. Begin with "A Scandal in Bohemia" to acquaint yourself with the mysterious Irene Adler.

Enjoy!

Vampires, etc.

Still reading Vampire Island ...

So, once again, I've found that it pays to read books that aren't classics, award-winners, or even ones that I really like.  I have been in the midst of reading the short book, Vampire Island by Adele Griffin for a long time.  It's about a family of fruit-bat/vampire hybrids that have relocated to New York City from the Old World.  The three children, Maddy, Hudson, and Lexie, are having a difficult time transitioning to human life.  Maddy is a bit too bloodthirsty for her new vegetarian lifestyle, Hudson has retained the ability to transform into a bat, and the oldest, Lexie, spouts the words of doomed poets and has little in common with school friends who lack her bat-like abilities.

It's a cute little book (only 120 pages) with a sense of humor, but really not my preference.  Tonight, however, a very young girl came up to me looking for Stephenie Meyer books.  It's certainly not my job to dissuade her from her book of choice; but I can tell you that when all of our Twilight books were checked out (no surprise!), she was very pleased when I offered to let her check out my very own Vampire Island book.

So, I still haven't finished it, but I was reading the right book at the right time, and made someone happy. Now I'll have to place a hold to see how it turns out. Vampire Island is the first book in the Vampire Island series, and fills the vampire craving for those too young for the Twilight series.

In other vampire-related news, I went to see New Moon with my daughter over the weekend. So depressing!  Neither boy can make Bella happy.  Even when she has what she wants, she is the picture of misery and angst. Another peeve about the movie? The dizzying scenes with the spinning camera angle - nauseating, really!  Finally, as for the Edward /Jacob debate, put me in the Jacob camp - I'd rather have a dog than a bat any day! 

Where the Wild Things Are

I have not had a chance to see the new movie Where the Wild Things Are, based on Maurice Sendak's Caldecott Medal winning book of the same name, however, I thought I'd pass this information along.

My niece, who has two preschoolers, went to see the movie and posted this message on Facebook, "Just saw Where The Wild Things Are. It is NOT a children's movie. I repeat, NOT a children's movie."

Of course, this is only one person's opinion, but I pass it along because I've noticed that many movie trailers are crafted to appeal to very young children, when the movie itself is intended for an older audience.

When in doubt about the appropriateness of a children's movie, you can check the website of Kids-in-Mind.com, which contains reviews and commentary on all new movies. The site rates them on gore, violence, profanity, etc. Movies are reviewed in excruciating detail and reviews usually contain spoilers, however, you'll never be unpleasantly surprised at the theater, and the site is a cheaper option than previewing the movie yourself before bringing the kids.

Common Sense Media is another great site for movie reviews. They suggest this movie for ages 9 and up.

Where the Wild Things Are is rated PG for "mild thematic elements, some adventure action and brief language."

I'd love to hear comments from anyone who has seen the movie with young kids! If I get to the movie this weekend, I'll be sure to post again.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (the movie)

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi and Ron Barrett, first published in 1978, is a classic children's book of the small town of Chewandswallow and its unique edible weather. It's been one of my favorites since my kids were small.

When I first saw the trailer for the new movie of the same name, I was worried. There appeared to be little correlation between the book and the movie.

I was right to be worried. After seeing the movie, I was extremely disappointed. Aside from the fact that the entire premise of the book (freakish weather phenomena) is missing from the movie (in the movie, the precipitating food is an experiment gone awry), the movie is lacking the charm and innocence of the original story. In fact, as my daughter put it,

"It's just another movie about someone who needs to save the world to get his dad to love him."

Sad.

If you're a fan of the book, skip this one.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

I saw Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince on opening day with five kids, ages 12-20. They all agreed that HP6 is the best yet. The rating is back to PG and there is more humor than in the past two movies. There were several times when our entire group was laughing out loud. The humor is more personal than situational, revolving mostly around Ron's hapless love life.

Fairly true to the book, even our most avid fan (dressed in costume), didn't complain much about missing scenes. However, if you're looking for Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacorte, you won't find them in HP and the Half-Blood Prince.

I loved the casting of Luna Lovegood and Bellatrix Lestrange, and they were awesome again in this movie.

Of course, they're already asking to go see it again, and we probably will. A great movie - worth the wait.

Up

2009. Up in 3-D. Disney/Pixar. Rated PG for Some Peril and Action.

Up is certainly not the movie that you might expect from the trailer. (That seems to be the case more often than not, lately) It is, however, a great movie! The old man, Carl Fredricksen (whose voice is that of Ed Asner) is not the grumpy old man that he is portrayed in the trailer. Rather, he is a sweet and sentimental man. His deceased wife (who we meet in a short vignette of his early life) was the one and only love of his life; he treasures her memory and the dreams of what they had hoped to accomplish together in faraway Paradise Falls, a remote South American waterfall.

When it becomes apparent that he will lose the lovely home they had created together, he decides to risk everything on a flying adventure to Paradise Falls, unknowingly carrying along the young scout, Russell. Of course, when he finally arrives, everything is not as he had dreamed.

The digital 3-D was impressive and there is action and humor enough to go around, but in the end, Up is a love story - the love of man, a boy, a bird, and a dog. There is a moral to this sweet and melancholy love story, and the moral is not so much to follow your dreams as it is to appreciate the journey. The movie may be called Up, but it is grounded in reality. Even dreams that come true do not make "happily ever after," - that is something that we must work at, every day.

Earth

Earth
2009 DisneyNature Rated G

I must confess that I'm not usually a fan of Disney movies, but it would be impossible to find fault with the Earth Day release of DisneyNature's Earth. Narrated by James Earl Jones, Earth is a visually stunning celebration of our planet's most unspoiled places and their inhabitants. From the Arctic to the Antarctic, from the windswept African desert to the lush and exotic tropical rain forest, Earth follows the awe-inspiring migrations and life-cycles of elephants, cranes, humpback whales, buffalo, polar bears and more.

Family-friendly, Earth illustrates the cycle of life primarily through the hunt and chase, rather than the capture of prey (with the exception of the Great White shark, which by its nature, cannot be depicted with restraint). Only the night-vision scenes of confrontations between elephants and lions might frighten the youngest viewers. I was pleased at the number of families attending the early evening showing. There were as many children as adult in the audience, perhaps more.

Three suggestions if you're planning to see Earth (and I hope you are!)

1. See it at a theater with digital projection - the grainy quality of film detracts from the cinematography.

2. Choose a late evening showing unless you are prepared (or heartened) by choruses of "Look, Mommy! A lion!" "Look, Mommy! It's a giraffe!"

3. Stay for the credits.

Coraline, Inkheart, movies, and books

I've always been one to read the book first, then see the movie. Then I always complain that the book was better. That is certainly the case with Coraline, now in theaters. I saw it in 3-D with my daughter. It's a great movie and the 3-D effects are awesome, but of course, I don't think the movie is as good as the book; and I didn't like the addition of a new character to the story. Part of Coraline's charm as a heroine is her self-reliance and assuredness. She really didn't need a sidekick.

Still, it's well worth seeing. Leave the preschoolers at home though! (I was surprised to see how many were in the theater)


Inkheart is a different story. I had never read Inkheart and went to see the movie with my daughters. It wasn't the best movie I've ever seen, but I really did enjoy it as a reading-themed, action movie.

I followed up the movie by downloading the audiobook version of the book, read by Lynn Redgrave (Listening Library 2005). I'm not sure if it was the length of the book (over 15 hours) or the monotony of listening to the same reader, that made it such slow-going. I've listened to Lynn Redgrave as the reader of Prince Caspian, and got used to her characterizations after a few chapters, however, the number and variety of characters in Inkheart makes it difficult for any narrator to create enough vocal variety for each character. Add to that fact, the fact that I already knew most of the story (although the movie does depart from the book in several major ways), and the whole audiobook experience was a bit of a chore.

But...

just when I was deciding that I wouldn't follow through on the rest of the series, Listening Library played a cruel trick on me - they included the first chapter of Inkspell, read by Brendan Fraser after the final chapter of Inkheart. Now I have no choice. I have to know what happens to Dustfinger!

Marley and Me

Marley and Me. 2008. 20th Century Fox.

This is an equally heartwarming and heartbreaking movie based on the book of the same name. I have only read the children's version of the book, Marley: A dog like no other, which I reviewed earlier, so I cannot say for sure if the movie is faithful to the adult title, Marley and Me. What I can say most emphatically, is that despite the humorous and heartwarming movie trailer, this is not a movie for young children. The movie, starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston, follows the lives of the married couple as much as that of the dog, Marley. I would not recommend taking a child with whom you would not want to discuss sex, failed pregnancies, or contraception. Conception is a recurring topic in the movie. A co-worker told me of a mom that planned her young daughter's birthday party at the movie. All partygoers ended up crying in the theater lobby, and poor mom had to call all the parents with an apology!

That being said, I took my own daughter to this movie and we thoroughly enjoyed it, laughing and crying out loud in the theater. Marley and Me is a realistic look at one dog's influence on a young and growing family. Through the best of times and the worst of times, Marley does what dogs do best - love unconditionally. And, as the movie asks, how many people do you know that can do that?

Bedtime Stories

Bedtime Stories. 2008. Directed by Adam Shankman. Starring Adam Sandler.

Imagine if the stories you told at bedtime came true the next day? That's the premise of Bedtime Stories, the new movie starring Adam Sandler. Adam Sandler is Skeeter, a handyman at a California hotel once owned by his father - now a mega resort owned by a pompous old man (the original Mr. Dursely of HP movies). When Skeeter's sister finds that she will be losing her job, she takes a trip to Arizona to find a new position. Skeeter watches her young children for a week - and so the bedtime stories begin.

Of course, it would be simple to tell a bedtime story that works out well for our hero, Skeeter, who is desperately seeking a grander position at the hotel, but these magical bedtime stories have a twist and don't always turn out as expected!

This is a great family movie. The three kids I brought to the movie (ages 12-15) gave it 2 thumbs up. I could hear them laughing out loud throughout the movie. I enjoyed it too. In spite of its PG rating, it was not too juvenile for an adult to enjoy. A funny family movie with a great message. (The only thing that one could find offensive were the two scenes involving "little people." That's one stereotype that our ever-enlightening culture has yet to shed.) Still, the movie is well-worth seeing.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0960731/

Marley: A Dog Like No Other

Grogan, John. 2007. Marley: A dog like no other. New York: Harper Collins.

Marley, A Dog Like No Other, is a juvenile version of the bestseller, Marley & Me. I have not read the adult version, so I cannot compare the two, however, Marley: A Dog Like No Other is a wonderful book in its own right.

A true story, based on the life of a lovable yet incorrigible Labrador, this book is a celebration not only of a dog, but of a family as well - one that is willing to see its imperfections and find humor in them. Like a comedian that spends ten minutes setting up the perfect punchline, Grogan has a perfect sense of comedic timing. Even if the reader can guess the outcome of any one of Marley's many escapades, Grogan delivers them with humor. More difficult than humor, however, is conveying the love that the Grogan family has for their dog.

"We could have bought a yacht with what we spent on our dog and all the things he destroyed. We'd take Marley any day. Yachts don't wait by the door all day for your return. And they don't live for the moment they can climb into your lap or ride down the hill with you on a toboggan, licking your face."

Eight pages of color photos are included. This is a humorous and heartwarming book that has just been chosen as the 2009 One Book New Jersey choice for middle grade readers. An excellent choice!

The movie version is due out on Christmas Day. Read the book first!

High School Musical 3: Senior Year

High School Musical 3: Senior Year.

I finally got around to seeing the latest High School Musical installment. This time, Troy, Gabriella, Chad and the rest of the East High kids, are making plans for college as they wind up their senior year. The year's musical, The Last Waltz, is a celebration of their final year.

It was a predictable movie. When it began with Troy breaking into song while driving the lane to the hoop in a championship basketball game, I wondered if I'd be able to make it through - but I did, and the believability improved (albeit slightly) as the story went on.

The bottom line is this: the East High students are motivated to attend college, their parents are well-meaning, the kids don't drink or smoke or curse, and the teacher is caring. There are worse ways for a kid to spend 112 minutes.

My daughters enjoyed it.

As for the slew of books that accompany each movie release - consider this:
High School Musical is a musical. Watch it, dance to it, listen to it - don't read it.

Wall-E

Took the kids to see Wall-E last night. It's rated G, however, I don't think that very young children will really understand it, or enjoy it. As cute as Wall-E is, he cannot compensate for the fact the movie has a very serious message. The movie takes place in the distant future. Earth has been overcome by the excesses of its people who, in turn, have abandoned the planet and taken refuge aboard a spaceship. Generations of passed and Earth's people, waited on and pampered by robots and AI computers, have grown fat, complacent and unable to think for themselves. Back on Earth, only the robot, Wall-E, and a cockroach remain. That is, until the auto bot, Eva, arrives searching for signs of life to signal the possibility of return.

Wall-E, the movie, is touching, timely and entertaining - but I don't think the pre-school set will enjoy anything more than the marketing blitz. Bring on the poorly written, cheaply made books - Wall-E has arrived. Sigh.