Tag Archives: Newberry

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (Goodreads Book Review)

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Hello Everyone,
Below is my Goodreads review of the classic 1968 Newberry winner From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. FrankweilerFrom the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Feeling unappreciated, Claudia has been planning to run away for weeks, months really. Now she is ready to put her plan into action with the help and money of her brother Jamie. Where should they go? A relative’s house? A treehouse or place in the woods? Why the Metropolitan Museum of Art, of course! It’s busy, educational, has food nearby, and, the best of all, elegance. Told from the perspective of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, this book makes living in an art museum plausible for its time period and wraps readers up in the mystery of a small angel statue on loan to the Met, which just might be one of Michelangelo’s masterpieces.

Enthusiastically,

Ms. Tyler

Bridge to Terabithia (Goodreads Book Review)

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Hello Everyone,

Below is my Goodreads review of the classic 1978 Newberry winner Bridge to Terabithia.

Bridge to TerabithiaBridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I still have several conflicting emotions when I think about the plot of this book. I like the plot as a whole, especially how Jess and Leslie choose to be friends without bothering about what other people may think, including Jess’s older sisters. Personally, I could have done without the profanity in several spots, although I am growing to understand it is needed for some young readers because it mirrors their lives. It is interesting how Katherine Paterson alludes to The Chronicles of Narnia series, especially Aslan.

Jess Aarons longs to be the fastest runner in the fifth grade and is dismayed when Leslie Burke, the new girl at school, beats him during one of the boys’ recess races. Yet, he chooses to be friends with Leslie, and together, they invent the magical world of Terabithia, where they rule wisely and vanquish foes courageously. In the real world, Jess and Leslie have to battle a seventh-grade bully; will they succeed? Will Jess learn to overcome his many fears in life and become strong in who he is? Will Leslie “fit in” at Lark Creek Elementary?

Enthusiastically,

Ms. Tyler

Inside Out & Back Again (Goodreads Review)

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Hello Everyone,

I recently read Inside Out & Back Again and wrote the following review of it on Goodreads.

Inside Out & Back AgainInside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Written as a novel in verse, Inside Out & Back Again follows ten-year-old Hà as she moves, with her mother and three brothers, from war-torn Saigon in southern Vietnam to peaceable Alabama in the United States. Hà’s move is both physical and emotional, as she navigates learning English, American food, and feeling dumb and out of place in school. Saddened when her best friend’s family leaves Saigon, Hà actually happy her family is poor so they can stay. When the decision is made to leave, she is initially resistant, yet, once in America, her excitement increases with the knowledge of being sponsored by a “cowboy” who may have a horse for her to ride. With her English improving slowly, she forges friendships with two of her classmates and begins to understand what the Vietnam War looks like through the eyes of an American, since Mrs. Washington, her neighbor and tutor, lost a son to combat. Longing for the return of her missing-in-action father, Hà learns to content herself with her new life. Throughout the novel, Hà’s personality shines with emotional depth and sensitivity, since Inside Out & Back Again is predominately based on the experiences of the author.

Enthusiastically,

Ms. Tyler