The fault in our stars-John Green

John Green, The fault in our stars, U.S.A. Dutton Books 2012, 313pp,ISBN 978-0-525-47881-2

Age: 14 and up
Rating: 5/5

A love story that can’t be forgotten, the kind of story that breaks your heart and expands it at the same time.

The Fault in Our Stars, number one on a New York Times Best Seller list in January 2012, is a love story between two unusual heroes, the special life circumstances causing this love to be more powerful. This is unexpected love story between Hazel and Aogastos, both adolescents with cancer.

The story is written from the point of view of 16-year-old  Hazel Lancaster that suffers from terminal lung cancer. This amazing love story, but more than romantic  it's  about friendship that starts at the Cancer Support Group when she first meets Augustus, 17 years old who is recovering from osteosarcoma. The plot overwhelming the readers is exciting, full of honest and courageous. We can find pain but also a lot of joy and humour, a fascinating plot full of changes.

Green, did not spare from his characters or the readers the pain and sadness. It could be a terrible kitsch, but the book is so real and beautiful that it is impossible not to get carried away and believe in them, love them, be surprised and confused with them at the same time. You find yourself happy and sad right along with them. Even that this book speaks a lot about cancer it’s not cancer book at all! This book is brilliant and funny. You find yourself crying and laughing throughout the story at the same time.

Let your adolescent to read this book, he will learn a thing or two about life and their complexity. Read the book along with him, and you will see how this talented writer, who won the 2006 Printz Award for his debut novel, Looking for Alaska can engage on issues that are sensitive and  painful in an enjoyable and fluent way.

Imagine a night-Sarah L. Thomson

Sarah L. Thomson,Imagine a night, U.S.A. Simon&Schuster 2003,40pp,ISBN 0-689-85218-5

Age:8 & up
Rating: 5/5

While I was drinking my coffee and thinking about my review that I want to write for the book "Imagine the Night" by Thomson and Gonsalves, the song that was playing from the radio was illusions, and the  band is Imagine. It was like symbolic sing for me to start to write it right now...

 This book is a lot about our ability to imagine, dive into the illustration and live their story. All I can say about the illustration is  W..O..W!!! I couldn’t take off my eyes from the pitcher because every minute I find new details that caught them.  
The sixteen illustrations that the book was written around them are gorgeous, they painting by Rob Gonsalves a Canadian artist whom his amazing second book "Imagine a Day," won the 2005 Governor General's award in the Children's Literature - Illustration category.  
“Imagine a night when you can ride your bike right up the stairs to your bed. Imagine a night when your toy train rumbles on its tracks out of your room and roars back in, full sized, ready for you to hop on for a nighttime adventure. Imagine a night when a farmer plays a lullaby on his fiddle, and his field of sunflowers begins to dip and sway to the rhythm. Imagine a night when ordinary objects magically become extraordinary...a night when it is possible to believe the impossible.”
And it’s exactly about possible that meet the impossible. There is snow along the street, that become beds with blankets  clouds that become moon and stars, water transfer into women’s shape; toy train became really one. 

   
This unique book encourages both young’s and adults to think beyond the boundaries in everyday life, and see the possibilities beyond.

“When the space between words becomes like the space between trees: wide enough to wander in..." just jump inside the book and make him alive.

It’s not the regular’s book that we read every day, but it’s for sure work of art that we must see!

Eric-Shaun tan

Shaun tan, Eric, U.K: Templar Publishing 2010, 48pp,ISBN 978-1-84877-587-9

Age:13-99&up…
Rating: 4.5/5

“some years ago we had a foreign exchange student come to live with us, we found it very difficult to pronounce his name correctly, but he didn’t mind.”

This student was Eric, believe me that when you finish reading this book, you will find yourself in love with this tiny curious guy. He will open your eyes and your heart and make you think how we accept those who are sometimes different from us; in the way they look/speak or think… The story is about tolerance and acceptance.

On first reading the book's plot looks simple, short and easy, but there are several layers and insights about our environment. I love this little book its make you think and not allowed you to get “it must be a cultural thing” as a simple answer. It is amazing that even it’s a picture book and does not contain much text is still creating a sense of involvement in it. This brilliant book will make you smile. Don’t ask me why, but after reading it the world feels a better place to live in. The book has powerful inspiration.

This mini edition with the wonderful pencil drawings includes one story from the author and illustrator of award-winning New York Times bestseller “Tales from Outer Suburbia.” This is a great gift for adolescents and adults, is one of the books that left in you and not just with you!

The Mixed-Up Chameleon-Eric Carle

Eric Carle, The Mixed-Up Chameleon, New York: Harper & Row 1989, 32pp, ISBN 0-590-42143-3

Ages: 3-8
Rating: 4.5/5

“on a shiny green leaf sat a small green chameleon” but this beautiful chameleon wasn’t satisfied with herself, she wants to be like all the other wonderful animals that she saw at the zoo. Her wishes come true and she becomes big and white like the polar bear, handsome like the flamingo, smart like the fox….but when she tries to catch a fly for lunch, she learns why it's so important to be yourself!!

This is one more lovely book from Eric Carle, whose write also “the very hungry caterpillar”, papa please get the moon for me”, “draw me a star” and many more.

His sensitive writing accompanies with simple and beautiful illustrations that he made can help young children identify animals, colors and the main features we attribute to those animals. Older children can also have important morals “be you. It's much better than being someone else” don’t be jealous of others in what they have, learn to be happy with what you have and be proud of it! 

The book gives us as parents\teachers a good opportunity to speak what happiness is, what things make us happy, and whether others' happiness is always our happiness also?

I know that the book may sound little bit philosophical but believe me he will put smile on your and your children face. Wait until you will meet the chameleons funny new look, it will make all of you laugh.

Mr.Peabodys Apples-Madonna

Madonna, Mr.Peabodys Apples, New York: Callaway 2003, 31pp, ISBN 0-670-05883-1

Ages:8-12
Rating: 4/5

when I was much younger, I admired Madonna. I even had period time in my life that I like to put on my right hand a bunch of black rubber bracelets. The years go by, and I like her little less. I must admit I was very surprised to find that she has released a line of children's books. The book "Mr. Peabody's Apples" is the second children's book in a series of five (The English Roses / Yakov and the Seven Thieves / The Adventures of Abdi, and Lotsa de Casha).

At first, I didn’t want to read the book. I thought to myself she is just a singer not a writer. I am glad to say that I was wrong and its great book, with beautiful artwork by the artist, Loren Long, her paintings cause the reader to sink into the story and really feel the characters as he in three-dimensional film.

Our hero is Mr. Peabody is a history teacher from a small town by the name Happville , every Saturday, he used to coaching group of children in baseball one of them is Tommy Tittlebottom. One-day, Tommy saw that Mr. Peabody taking an apple from the fruit stands and going without pay. The boy ran to tell everyone that Mr. Peabody had stolen an apple. Tommy did it without checking the facts, and the rumor began spreading. When Mr. Peabody arrives as usual on Saturday to play the game, only one boy arrived, and he explains what has happened. In this point Mr Peabody decides to teach Tommy nice lesson about the power of words.

 The moral in the book is strong, children(I must admit that also the adult)) can learn that things are not all the time what they look like and that they must be very careful of what they say, because  sometimes the damage stayed forever. if you ask me before I read this book if this “material girl” can write about spirit, I am sure I said no!!!

B…..U…..T as Mr. Peabody summarizes it in the end of the book “next time don’t be so quick to judge a person, and remember the power of your words”.

 

Caps for Sale-Esphyr Slobodkina

Esphyr Slobodkina, Caps for Sale, U.S.A: Scholastic 1999, 40pp,ISBN 0-439-12061-6

Ages: 3-8
Rating: 4/5

Caps for sale is a classic book. It's a story without a place and time, which is what, makes him to be entertaining even after more than sixty years. It’s simple story with a simple plot about a peddler, Some Monkeys and Their Monkey Business… It tells the story of a peddler who sells colorful caps by carrying them on top of his head, and calls - "Caps! Caps for Sale! “Fifty cents a cap!” One day, the peddler couldn’t sell any caps, so he decides to rest.

While he takes his nap, a group of monkeys snatch the caps from his head. When the peddler awakes, he shaking a finger at them and ask the monkeys to give him back his caps. The monkeys shook their fingers and refuse with a simple "tsz, tsz, tsz." After a few unsuccessful attempts to return the caps, the peddler was so angry that he threw his own cap to the ground, and what a surprise he suddenly found out that what monkey sees, monkey does!

I love this story! He is having everything inside: lots of fun and humour, imagination (let they children decide what they monkey said when they said "tsz, tsz, tsz."), learning (colours, directions, numbers), for us as adults, there is also an important amoral If we want to learn our children the correct behavior is not right just yelled at them if they do not behave as we expected our job as a parent is to show them how they should behave, and then they will copy us!
This tale is universally and can cross lots of different cultures. The colours of the pictures could use some updating/brightening, but I must admit that I like them as they look for me like vintage pictures, and they remained me my childhood books.

In this era that everyone looks for interactive electronics material, it’s amazing to find a hard copy interactive book!