Thursday, November 20, 2008
A little princess
Author: Burnett, Frances Hodgson
Imprint: Bangkok, 2541
privileged, free-spirited young girl tries to adapt to life in a strict boarding school in this charming, critically acclaimed children's fantasy. Adapting a novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, also the author of -The Secret Garden, the film shifts the story's setting to World War I. 10 year-old Sara Crewe (Liesel Matthews) has been left in a respected New York City boarding school while her British father heads overseas to fight. Filled with wild stories and a playful attitude, the unconventional Sara becomes popular amongst her classmates but quickly comes into conflict with the harsh headmistress, Miss Minchin (Eleanor Bron), who attempts to quash the child's individuality. The young girl's situation takes a serious turn for the worse when she unexpectedly receives word of her father's death, and, suddenly impoverished, is forced into life as a servant. Treated as a lesser class of person by her former companions, Sara instead befriends her fellow servants and turns to the power of imagination in order to maintain hope for the future. In addition to changing the story's setting, screenwriters Richard LaGravenese and Elizabeth Chandler add a layer of Indian mythology to the tale, allowing director Alfonso Cuaron the chance to punctuate the riches-to-rags fable with a series of lush, imaginative fantasy sequences. Though A Little Princess had difficulty attracting audiences during its initial run, its visual splendor and touching storytelling were praised by many critics, several of whom proclaimed the film one of the best family-oriented productions of its time.
Reviewing sorce:
The light princess
AUTHOR: George MacDonald
Imprint: Bangkok, 2545
It is the tale of a princess who is cursed by a mean, jealous, witch so that she has no gravity. The book is full of puns, so MacDonald makes much both of her weightlessness, and the lack of gravity in her character. Naturally her parents are upset and try to have her cured, but to no avail (although the efforts of a couple of Chinese philosophers to provide a cure are rendered amusingly). However the Princess is quite happy with her "light" state (of course it is in her nature to be always happy). In the way of things, a Prince appears, and falls in love with the Princess. Then the witch realizes that her curse has failed to make the Princess unhappy, so she takes further steps, which are thwarted by the selfless behavior of the Prince, and which result in the Princess recovering her gravity: not an unmixed blessing, but one which her new maturity allows her to realize is best in the long run.
This is a delightful story, told with just the right mixture of whimsy and mildly serious moral comment. The characters are lightly and accurately drawn (the Princess` parents and the Chinese philosophers in particular, are delightful), and the story is predictable but still quite imaginative, with a number of nice touches to do with the Princess` weightlessness. Maurice Sendak`s illustrations are wonderful as usual.
This is a delightful story, told with just the right mixture of whimsy and mildly serious moral comment. The characters are lightly and accurately drawn (the Princess` parents and the Chinese philosophers in particular, are delightful), and the story is predictable but still quite imaginative, with a number of nice touches to do with the Princess` weightlessness. Maurice Sendak`s illustrations are wonderful as usual.
Reviewing sorcr: http://www.sff.net/people/richard.Horton/lightp.htm
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
The Gingerbread Man
The Gingerbread Man is the anthropomorphic protagonist in a fairy tale about a cookie's flight from various pursuers and his eventual end between the jaws of a fox. The Gingerbread Man makes his first print appearance in the May 1875 issue of St. Nicholas Magazine in a cumulative tale which, like "The Little Red Hen", depends on rhythm and repetition for its effect with one event following hard upon another until the climax is reached. Tales of runaway cosmestibles have been noted worldwide with pancakes predominating in 19th-century Europe. A gingerbread man as hero is a uniquely American contribution to the tale type. Modern twists on the tale include a gingerbread cowboy in a Wild West setting and a gingerbread girl who outwits the fox.
Reviwing sorce: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gingerbread_Man
Goldilocks and the three bears
Imprint: New York : Scholastic, 1991
Review:
The Three Bears or Goldilocks and the Three Bears is a notable children's bedtime story. It first became widely known in 1837 when the poet Robert Southey composed it as a prose story, collected in his book The Doctor, although it was possibly based on an even older story.[1]
The story was very popular and retold by many others. George Nicol retold Southey's story in verse. According to Southey's story, a copy of which is displayed in Keswick Museum and Art Gallery in Cumbria, the visitor to the bears' home was a "naughty old woman"; later versions of the story replaced the old woman with a girl named Silver-hair. George MacDonald mentions the three bears of Silverhair in his 1867 story The Golden Key. Joseph Jacobs included a fairy tale Scrapefoot in his More English Fairy Tales, identical in every respect to "The Three Bears" except that milk replaces the porridge, and the visiting character is a lame fox. This saw print later than Southey's version, but it may have predated it in the oral tradition; some have hypothesized that Southey heard a tale about a literal vixen and mistook it for a figurative vixen, a harridan.[2] Charles Dickens' "Our Mutual Friend" contains a reference to a version of the story with three hobgoblins instead of bears.[3] Goldilocks first appeared in the 1904 printing of Old Nursery Stories and Rhymes.
The story continues to grow and change. Recent versions include the story told from the point of view of the three bears. The story was humorously adapted into a popular song in 1946 by songwriter Bobby Troup; this song - like the original story - is often erroneously credited as "anonymous".
The story was very popular and retold by many others. George Nicol retold Southey's story in verse. According to Southey's story, a copy of which is displayed in Keswick Museum and Art Gallery in Cumbria, the visitor to the bears' home was a "naughty old woman"; later versions of the story replaced the old woman with a girl named Silver-hair. George MacDonald mentions the three bears of Silverhair in his 1867 story The Golden Key. Joseph Jacobs included a fairy tale Scrapefoot in his More English Fairy Tales, identical in every respect to "The Three Bears" except that milk replaces the porridge, and the visiting character is a lame fox. This saw print later than Southey's version, but it may have predated it in the oral tradition; some have hypothesized that Southey heard a tale about a literal vixen and mistook it for a figurative vixen, a harridan.[2] Charles Dickens' "Our Mutual Friend" contains a reference to a version of the story with three hobgoblins instead of bears.[3] Goldilocks first appeared in the 1904 printing of Old Nursery Stories and Rhymes.
The story continues to grow and change. Recent versions include the story told from the point of view of the three bears. The story was humorously adapted into a popular song in 1946 by songwriter Bobby Troup; this song - like the original story - is often erroneously credited as "anonymous".
Reviewing sorce: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldilocks
The three little pigs
Author: Southgate, Vera
Imprint: Loughborough : Wills and Hepworth
Review:
Three Little Pigs is a fairy tale featuring talking animals. Published versions of the story date back to the late 18th century, but the story is thought to be much older. The phrases used in the story, and the various morals which can be drawn from it, have become enshrined in western culture.
Reviewing sorce: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Three_Little_Pigs
Review:
The familiar tale of Sly Fox taking advantage of Red Hen's kind and generous nature is given new life by French's fresh text and Hobson's lively illustrations. In this rendition, Sly Fox tricks Red Hen into letting him into her home by telling her his socks need mending. Once inside, he captures the gullible hen, anticipating the delicious dinner he will have that night. Of course, his plans go awry. Hobson's effective use of vibrant color, high contrast, and unique perspectives make for eye-catching illustrations that will have as much appeal for children as the action and trickery of the story. The book isn't a must purchase, but it will be a delightful story-time read.
Jack and the beanstalk
Review:
The story tells of a boy named Jack who was sent to the market one day instructed by his mother to sell their cow. As Jack proceeded to the market he met a stranger who offered to trade five "magic beans" for the cow. Jack accepted the trade and returned back home with the beans in his pocket. Jack's mother was angered that he had not obeyed her instructions to sell the cow and threw the beans out of the window. As Jack slept, the beans germinated into the soil and a gigantic beanstalk grew in their place by morning. When Jack saw the huge beanstalk, he immediately decided to climb up it. He arrived in a land high up in the clouds that happened to be the home of a giant. When he broke into the giant's castle, the giant quickly sensed a human was near:
Fee! Fie! Foe! Fum!
I smell the blood of an Englishman.
Be he 'live, or be he dead,
I'll grind his bones to make my bread.
However, Jack was saved by the giant's wife and as he escaped from the palace, he took a bag of gold coins with him. Jack desired to seek out more treasures from the castle in the clouds and climbed once more up the beanstalk. This time he stole a hen which laid golden eggs. Again he was saved from harm by the giant's wife.
Jack disregarded being nearly discovered by the giant twice and decided to go up the beanstalk a third time. This time, he stole a magical harp that played by itself. The instrument did not appreciate being stolen and called out to the giant for help. The giant chased Jack down the beanstalk, but Jack managed to get to the ground before the giant did. Jack, seeing an axe on the ground beside him, immediately chopped the beanstalk down. The giant fell to earth, hitting the ground so hard that it split, pulling the beanstalk down with him.
Fee! Fie! Foe! Fum!
I smell the blood of an Englishman.
Be he 'live, or be he dead,
I'll grind his bones to make my bread.
However, Jack was saved by the giant's wife and as he escaped from the palace, he took a bag of gold coins with him. Jack desired to seek out more treasures from the castle in the clouds and climbed once more up the beanstalk. This time he stole a hen which laid golden eggs. Again he was saved from harm by the giant's wife.
Jack disregarded being nearly discovered by the giant twice and decided to go up the beanstalk a third time. This time, he stole a magical harp that played by itself. The instrument did not appreciate being stolen and called out to the giant for help. The giant chased Jack down the beanstalk, but Jack managed to get to the ground before the giant did. Jack, seeing an axe on the ground beside him, immediately chopped the beanstalk down. The giant fell to earth, hitting the ground so hard that it split, pulling the beanstalk down with him.
Reviewing sorce: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_and_the_Beanstalk
the Elves and the shoemaker
Review:
Kind shoemaker Hans and his beloved wife Claudia are worried that their holiday will be the bleakestever.Business is poor and there is little money for food or to buy the leather needed to make shoes to sell. To make matters worse, Wolfgang, the landlord of their tiny shop, is demanding their rent payment. When Wolfgang learns that the rent cannot be paid, he insists that Hans help
him capture an elf, a magical creature that Wolfgang believes to be capable of turning straw into gold. Hans reluctantly agrees to help Wolfgang, hoping
Kind shoemaker Hans and his beloved wife Claudia are worried that their holiday will be the bleakestever.Business is poor and there is little money for food or to buy the leather needed to make shoes to sell. To make matters worse, Wolfgang, the landlord of their tiny shop, is demanding their rent payment. When Wolfgang learns that the rent cannot be paid, he insists that Hans help
him capture an elf, a magical creature that Wolfgang believes to be capable of turning straw into gold. Hans reluctantly agrees to help Wolfgang, hoping
that thelandlord will give them more time to pay their rent. Meanwhile, a smart elf, Ivy, attempts to teach his new fun-loving elf partner, Holly, how to distinguish a good human from a bad human. Holly learns quickly that Wolfgang, with his awful elf-finding machine, is a bad human, while Hans, who frees Holly from Wolfgang’s net, is a good human. The elves
vow to help the good Hans in return for his kindness. For a week, the two elves sneak into Hans and Claudia’s shop at night and make beautiful shoes for the shoemaker to sell. As their fortunes change, Hans and Claudia are able to afford food and coal and to pay off the villainous Wolfgang
with a bag of gold. By helping out the goodhearted Hans and Claudia, Holly’s elf
training is complete, and the two elves happily return to their home in the Black
Forest.
vow to help the good Hans in return for his kindness. For a week, the two elves sneak into Hans and Claudia’s shop at night and make beautiful shoes for the shoemaker to sell. As their fortunes change, Hans and Claudia are able to afford food and coal and to pay off the villainous Wolfgang
with a bag of gold. By helping out the goodhearted Hans and Claudia, Holly’s elf
training is complete, and the two elves happily return to their home in the Black
Forest.
The Wind in the willows
Author: Grahame, Kenneth
Imprint: London : Penguin Books, 1994
Review:
The Wind in the Willows is a classic of children's literature by Kenneth Grahame, first published in 1908. Alternately slow moving and fast paced, it focuses on four anthropomorphised animal characters in a pastoral version of England. The novel is notable for its mixture of mysticism, adventure, morality, and camaraderie.
The Wind in the Willows was saved from obscurity by the then-famous playwright, A. A. Milne, who loved it and adapted a part of it for stage as Toad of Toad Hall.
In 1908 Grahame retired from his position as secretary of the Bank of England. He moved to the country, where he spent his time by the River Thames doing much as the animal characters in his book do; namely, as one of the most famous phrases from the book says, "simply messing about in boats". The seventh chapter of the book, "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn," inspired the title of rock band Pink Floyd's debut album of the same name.
The Wind in the Willows was saved from obscurity by the then-famous playwright, A. A. Milne, who loved it and adapted a part of it for stage as Toad of Toad Hall.
In 1908 Grahame retired from his position as secretary of the Bank of England. He moved to the country, where he spent his time by the River Thames doing much as the animal characters in his book do; namely, as one of the most famous phrases from the book says, "simply messing about in boats". The seventh chapter of the book, "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn," inspired the title of rock band Pink Floyd's debut album of the same name.
Reviewing sorce: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wind_in_the_Willows
Sunday, November 16, 2008
The BFG
Author: Dahl, Roald
Imprint: London : Puffin Books, 1984, c1982
Review: Sophie, an 8–year–old orphan, is kidnapped by the BFG (Big Friendly Giant) and taken to Giantland, where she sees nine giants who, unlike the gentle title character, eat children. Bonecrusher, Fleshlumpeater, Childchewer and the rest of the nasty giant clan are disdainful of the BFG for his kindness and vegetarian ways. Mr. Dahl offers just what many children like: humorous yet chilling descriptions of the giants and their evil doings. The BFG knows his colleagues may knock him about but will not kill him; spunky litttle Sophie, however, is always in danger.
The BFG has taken upon himself the delivery of "Lovely golden dreams" to earth's children. These dreams and nightmares will appeal to the "dreams of glory" syndrome of children. Youngsters will delight in visions of power over adults; the author knows that children are essentially anarchistic and revolutionary.
Mr. Dahl has created a sense–nonsense language for the BFG. The giant is literate but does get mixed up badly in his speech and writing. He has learned to read from a copy of "Nicholas Nickleby" by "Dahl's Chickens." "Whizzpopping" by any other name is giant, coruscating flatulence – "glumptious music" to the BFG. "Swatchwallop" is the disgusting garbage taste of "snozzcumbers," and so on.
Fortunately, Sophie's alliance with the BFG and the Queen of England, her "Majester," the "Ruler of Straight Lines," results in the capture of the nine evil giants.
Children will enjoy this book. Many adults will dislike it. Thus, "The BFG" is a success since it allows children a recognition of the habits, dreams and humor that they alone possess. Mr. Dahl appeals to a child's sense of justice, morbidity and humor. An occasional humorous finger poked at the established habits of the world should harm no one and delight many.
Reviewing sorce: http://www.roalddahlfans.com/books/bfgrev1.php
www.exteen.com
Charlie and the chocolate factory
Author: Dahl, Roald
Imprint: London : Puffin Books, 2001
Review:
Poor Charlie Bucket is practically starving to death, but his luck changes for the better when he wins a lifetime supply of candy--and a chance to visit Willy Wonka's fabulous, top-secret chocolate factory. This charming, irreverent tale, one of Roald Dahl's best, has captivated children for more than thirty years.
Five lucky people who find a Golden Ticket wrapped in one of Willy Wonka's wonderful candy bars win a visit to his mysterious chocolate factory. Charlie Bucket is too poor to buy more than one candy bar a year, so when he wins a ticket, his whole family celebrates.
The four other lucky children are not as nice as Charlie, and they're punished for their bad behavior. Greedy Augustus Gloop falls into the chocolate river he's trying to drink from and gets sucked up a pipe. Chewing-gum addict Violet Beauregarde grabs a stick of gum that blows her up into a giant blueberry. Spoiled Veruca Salt is deemed a "bad nut" by Wonka's trained squirrels and thrown in the garbage. And Mike Teavee demands to be "sent by television" and gets shrunk in the process. But there's a wonderful surprise waiting for Charlie at the end of the tour.
Reviewing sorce: http://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/Charlie-Chocolate-Factory.html
The Roald Dahl treasury
Author: Dahl, Roald
Imprint: London : Jonathan Cape, 1997
Review:
The Roald Dahl Treasury is a fantastic book because it allows readers to discover exactly that. Moreover, it introduces the reader to the amazing worlds which flourished inside Dahl's head with excerpts, letters and essays, most of which have previously appeared, but many of which are seeing the printed page for the first time.
Reviewing sorce: http://www.sfsite.com/12b/dahl23.htm
Harry Potter and the sorcerer's stone
Review:
This story introduces us to Harry Potter, an orphaned boy sent to live with his "horrible" Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and their fat, obnoxious son, Dudley. Since Harry's parents were powerful witches before they were killed by an even more powerful witch, Harry has Generational Witchcraft in his background, making it very likely that he will be a wizard when he grows up. Vernon and Petunia know this, and since they hate Witchcraft and anything to do with it, they determine to try to raise Harry in such a way as to deny him any knowledge of his parent's proclivities.
Therefore, they do not tell him the truth of his parent's death, telling Harry they were killed in an auto accident. They also force Harry to live in a closet underneath the stairs, even though they have a perfectly good extra bedroom upstairs. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia deny Harry any parental love and compassion; in fact, all through this book, any non-witch folk -- like Vernon and Petunia -- are depicting in disgusting language. Non-witch people are known as Muggles , and they are depicting as being "dumber than a box of rocks", of being physically obscene, and of living the most boring, unimaginative lives possible. Witches, on the other hand, are depicted as being very smart, very "with it", of being physically normal, and of living wonderfully exciting lives, especially when they are in their Fantasy Reality, explained below.
In a flashback scene to the time 10 years earlier when Harry's Mom and Dad were psychically murdered by evil Lord Voldemort on Halloween night, we learn that, instead of Voldemort's curse killing Harry as it had done to his parents, he was merely permanently scarred with a lightning bolt right in the middle of his forehead. [p. 14-15] Of course, a Christian would be immediately alerted to this turn of events because soon a supernaturally powerful global leader will demand everyone on earth take some sort of a mark in exactly this place on the body.
Harry spends his first ten years totally unaware that he has Witchcraft in his background [Generational Witchcraft, p. 51] and that he might possess inherent "special powers". Suddenly, a letter arrives from the Hogwart School of Wizardry and Witchcraft, telling Harry that he has been accepted as a student, and informing him as to when classes begin. Of course, Uncle Vernon intercepts and destroys the letter. On the next day, two letters arrive, and Vernon destroys them. On the next day, many more letters arrive, this time coming in through windows, doors, and cracks. Finally, after the most stupid flight possible to avoid the letters, enough letters arrive at the boat on which Uncle Vernon has taken Harry that Harry finally gets his hands on one of the letters.
Harry is totally dumbfounded with the news that he is a Wizard, but he has to get free of the physical clutches of Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. They have Harry on a boat headed for nowhere and they had every intention of keeping Harry from ever attending Hogwarts School. However, Harry receives supernatural assistance. A very huge man suddenly appears on the boat, out of nowhere, and forcibly removes Harry from the clutches of Uncle Vernon. His name turns out to be Hagrid, and he is the groundskeeper of Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft.
Soon, Harry finds his way through the dimensional portal at the train station, and on board the Hogwarts train, on his way to discovering new friends, and an entirely new, exciting life in the Fantasy Reality of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Suddenly, Harry finds himself and his friends in the exciting race to discover the Sorcerer's Stone, the occult symbol of reaching the final stage in the quest for eternal life.
Therefore, they do not tell him the truth of his parent's death, telling Harry they were killed in an auto accident. They also force Harry to live in a closet underneath the stairs, even though they have a perfectly good extra bedroom upstairs. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia deny Harry any parental love and compassion; in fact, all through this book, any non-witch folk -- like Vernon and Petunia -- are depicting in disgusting language. Non-witch people are known as Muggles , and they are depicting as being "dumber than a box of rocks", of being physically obscene, and of living the most boring, unimaginative lives possible. Witches, on the other hand, are depicted as being very smart, very "with it", of being physically normal, and of living wonderfully exciting lives, especially when they are in their Fantasy Reality, explained below.
In a flashback scene to the time 10 years earlier when Harry's Mom and Dad were psychically murdered by evil Lord Voldemort on Halloween night, we learn that, instead of Voldemort's curse killing Harry as it had done to his parents, he was merely permanently scarred with a lightning bolt right in the middle of his forehead. [p. 14-15] Of course, a Christian would be immediately alerted to this turn of events because soon a supernaturally powerful global leader will demand everyone on earth take some sort of a mark in exactly this place on the body.
Harry spends his first ten years totally unaware that he has Witchcraft in his background [Generational Witchcraft, p. 51] and that he might possess inherent "special powers". Suddenly, a letter arrives from the Hogwart School of Wizardry and Witchcraft, telling Harry that he has been accepted as a student, and informing him as to when classes begin. Of course, Uncle Vernon intercepts and destroys the letter. On the next day, two letters arrive, and Vernon destroys them. On the next day, many more letters arrive, this time coming in through windows, doors, and cracks. Finally, after the most stupid flight possible to avoid the letters, enough letters arrive at the boat on which Uncle Vernon has taken Harry that Harry finally gets his hands on one of the letters.
Harry is totally dumbfounded with the news that he is a Wizard, but he has to get free of the physical clutches of Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. They have Harry on a boat headed for nowhere and they had every intention of keeping Harry from ever attending Hogwarts School. However, Harry receives supernatural assistance. A very huge man suddenly appears on the boat, out of nowhere, and forcibly removes Harry from the clutches of Uncle Vernon. His name turns out to be Hagrid, and he is the groundskeeper of Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft.
Soon, Harry finds his way through the dimensional portal at the train station, and on board the Hogwarts train, on his way to discovering new friends, and an entirely new, exciting life in the Fantasy Reality of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Suddenly, Harry finds himself and his friends in the exciting race to discover the Sorcerer's Stone, the occult symbol of reaching the final stage in the quest for eternal life.
Reviewing sorce: http://www.cuttingedge.org/news/n1397.cfm
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