Don't get me wrong, I loved The Wednesday Wars. I'm just wondering if a middle schooler would also love this book. A twelve-year-old would miss most of the 1960s references and most likely, would miss the Shakespeare references unless he/she had previous exposure. Is the story of a struggling kid enough to compel someone young through the story? Just wondering what you think.
-Jaclyn
ps. I am a huge fan of Mrs. Baker.
pps. I loathe Mr. Hoodhood.
ppps. I double heart you.
pppps. This is what my notes to my friends in seventh grade looked like...why didn't I include the contents of the post-scripts in the body of the letter?!
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Have you started The Wednesday Wars?!
Hello Pickwick Society-
Just wanted to tell you that if you haven't started The Wednesday Wars then today is your day. It is fantastic and exactly the type of book to read after your last few serious reads. You'll love the 1960s references to politics and social movements, and if you're an English nerd, you'll love the references to Shakespeare's plays - both the overt line references and then the ones that are cleverly woven into the prose.
Happy reading!
-Jac
-Jac
Monday, February 14, 2011
Jaclyn's "101" Review
The 101 Most Influential People Who Never Lived: How Characters of Fiction, Myth, Legends, Television, and Movies Have Shaped Our Society, Changed Our Behavior, and Set the Course of History by Allan LazarMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Let’s be honest – I am so glad to be done with this book. I love the randomness and the obscure facts. I do not love how enamored the authors are with themselves and their damn dog. I think this is a good book to peruse when you’re waiting for someone or when you’re looking for something to talk about at a dinner party. This is not a book that I would recommend reading from cover to cover.
A few things that I found thoroughly entertaining from my read:
*Still cracking up from the Prince Charming section. The Velazquez idea that Prince Charming can’t recognize the love of his life so how is he going to be a good father is especially funny.
*Robinson Crusoe inspired the idea of “my man Friday” which, of course, led to “my girl Friday.”
*When the book was written, there had never been a president or vice-president or secretary of state Joe. I actually agree with the authors on this one – GI Joe sounds great. Vice President Joe – not so much. Do you think that’s why the Obama administration hardly lets him out to play?
*Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde was on the forefront of psychology. And who said writers make things up? We’re brilliant, well at least, Robert Louis Stevenson was. Not sure about the writers that are perpetuating vampire series books in every era possible.
*Any reference to the Mary Tyler Moore show makes me happy. I love that she is a symbol of women’s liberation. I never thought of that when I was watching her as a little girl on Nick at Nite (yes, that’s how they spelled night).
*Buffy? REALLY?
*The Barbie information is so interesting. Ironically, they reference Barbie and Ken separating in 2004. I passed a display in Target a couple days ago that “Barbie & Ken – Back Together!” I guess the famously beautiful plastic dolls have reconciled just in time for Valentine’s Day.
[For more see, other posts and their comments. Happy reading!]
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Sure, I'll be the first to bring it up.
I have a laundry list of things to say about 101 Most Influential...blah blah blah. So, I will number.
1. Title is way too long. Clever, but too long.
2. In the G.I. Joe section (obsessing over this section still), it says that we have never had a VP of the USA named Joe. I had to go look up the copyright date, because I thought it was interesting that our VP IS named Joe. Right now!
3. The Ugly Duckling section bugged me in a big way. I understand these fellas are philosophers, but I just felt like occasionally (particularly in this section) they got a little too SOAP BOXY for my liking.
4. Interesting point..."we attend movies in large numbers, sitting for several hours in the dark with strangers." Isn't that weird that we do that?
5. L-O-V-E-D the "Little Tramp"/Charlie Chaplin section. I worry that this part of our country's history is going to get forgotten or overlooked with the next generation (or ours even) because there is so little "entertainment" in the way we define the word to be found in his films. But, really, what a huge impact he had!
6. "Who hasn't had the experience of being 'vampirized' by someone, so that you feel drained and manipulated every time you interact with that person?" So cool.
I'm sure I'll have more insightful (or at the least, hopefully less idiotic) commentary when I actually finish the book, but so as not to bore you, I figured I'd split it up.
I'd love to hear anyone else's list from this book.
-Meg
PS. Anyone know why they are called "laundry lists"? Do we make lists to do laundry? Because I don't. Maybe that's why all my clothes are too small for me. Hmm.
1. Title is way too long. Clever, but too long.
2. In the G.I. Joe section (obsessing over this section still), it says that we have never had a VP of the USA named Joe. I had to go look up the copyright date, because I thought it was interesting that our VP IS named Joe. Right now!
3. The Ugly Duckling section bugged me in a big way. I understand these fellas are philosophers, but I just felt like occasionally (particularly in this section) they got a little too SOAP BOXY for my liking.
4. Interesting point..."we attend movies in large numbers, sitting for several hours in the dark with strangers." Isn't that weird that we do that?
5. L-O-V-E-D the "Little Tramp"/Charlie Chaplin section. I worry that this part of our country's history is going to get forgotten or overlooked with the next generation (or ours even) because there is so little "entertainment" in the way we define the word to be found in his films. But, really, what a huge impact he had!
6. "Who hasn't had the experience of being 'vampirized' by someone, so that you feel drained and manipulated every time you interact with that person?" So cool.
I'm sure I'll have more insightful (or at the least, hopefully less idiotic) commentary when I actually finish the book, but so as not to bore you, I figured I'd split it up.
I'd love to hear anyone else's list from this book.
-Meg
PS. Anyone know why they are called "laundry lists"? Do we make lists to do laundry? Because I don't. Maybe that's why all my clothes are too small for me. Hmm.
Monday, February 7, 2011
February Book
Hear ye, hear ye-
The February book for the Pickwick Society Book Club is The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt.
Goodreads.com describes The Wednesday Wars as follows -
While all his classmates are enjoying (?) religious instruction, seventh-grader Holling Hoodhood shares Wednesday afternoons with Mrs. Baker, his Camillo Junior High teacher. Not surprisingly, Holling lacks enthusiasm for mid-week appointments with an instructor who assigns him Shakespeare as out-of-class reading. Holling has other things on his mind besides English Renaissance drama. For his dad's sake, he's trying hard to stay out of trouble, but with hovering bullies and other impinging crises, that seems to be a full-time job. Fortunately, help arrives from an unexpected source. Another funny yet gripping novel from the author of Lizzie Bright and The Buckminster Boy.
We hope you love it. Happy Reading!
ps. If you've already read this book, we'd still love for you to participate in our discussion. Email pickwickreaders@gmail.com if you have specific topics you want us to make sure to bring up.
The February book for the Pickwick Society Book Club is The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt.
Goodreads.com describes The Wednesday Wars as follows -
While all his classmates are enjoying (?) religious instruction, seventh-grader Holling Hoodhood shares Wednesday afternoons with Mrs. Baker, his Camillo Junior High teacher. Not surprisingly, Holling lacks enthusiasm for mid-week appointments with an instructor who assigns him Shakespeare as out-of-class reading. Holling has other things on his mind besides English Renaissance drama. For his dad's sake, he's trying hard to stay out of trouble, but with hovering bullies and other impinging crises, that seems to be a full-time job. Fortunately, help arrives from an unexpected source. Another funny yet gripping novel from the author of Lizzie Bright and The Buckminster Boy.
We hope you love it. Happy Reading!
ps. If you've already read this book, we'd still love for you to participate in our discussion. Email pickwickreaders@gmail.com if you have specific topics you want us to make sure to bring up.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
All Kinds of Goodness
I am really kind of loving this 101 book. Besides, of course, when the authors get a LITTLE carried away with the philosophizing. Not sure that's even a word...
But, here's something I learned that I thought was very good cocktail party conversation (because I go to a lot of cocktail parties, so I just want to be ready):
"Typically, each figure is made for only a single year. The 2004 run had almost two hundred Joe characters..."
--regarding G.I Joe action figures
But, here's something I learned that I thought was very good cocktail party conversation (because I go to a lot of cocktail parties, so I just want to be ready):
"Typically, each figure is made for only a single year. The 2004 run had almost two hundred Joe characters..."
--regarding G.I Joe action figures
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