Welcome!

Dear Book Lovers, Welcome! I am delighted that you have found The Through the Looking Glass blog. For over twenty years I reviewed children's literature titles for my online journal, which came out six times a year. Every book review written for that publication can be found on the Through the Looking Glass website (the link is below). I am now moving in a different direction, though the columns that I write are still book-centric. Instead of writing reviews, I'm offering you columns on topics that have been inspired by wonderful books that I have read. I tell you about the books in question, and describe how they have have impacted me. This may sound peculiar to some of you, but the books that I tend to choose are ones that resonate with me on some level. Therefore, when I read the last page and close the covers, I am not quite the same person that I was when first I started reading the book. The shift in my perspective might be miniscule, but it is still there. The books I am looking are both about adult and children's titles. Some of the children's titles will appeal to adults, while others will not. Some of the adult titles will appeal to younger readers, particularly those who are eager to expand their horizons.
Showing posts with label Mary Ann Rodman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mary Ann Rodman. Show all posts

Monday, August 18, 2008

Book Blog Tour for "Jimmy's Stars" - Day Two

Now that you have read my review of Jimmy's Stars I thought you might like to learn a little bit about the author.

MARY ANN RODMAN’s debut novel,Yankee Girl, was chosen as a VOYA Top Shelf Fiction for Middle School Readers and an NCSS-CBC Notable Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies. She lives with her family in Alpharetta, Georgia. To find out more about Mary Ann Rodman please visit her website.

Mary Ann Rodman has written several books in addition to Jimmy's Stars. These are:



First Grade Stinks - Coming out next month

Surprise Soup - Coming out in the spring of 2009






The other blogs participating in this event are:
















Please visit these blogs to read their reviews and to see what activities they have planned for the next two book blog days.

Blog Book Tour for "Jimmy's Stars" - Day One

I am delighted to offer you my first Blog Book Tour. The featured title is Jimmy's Stars by Mary Ann Rodman. The schedule for the Book Tour on this blog is as follows:

Day One: Review of Jimmy's Stars

Day Two: Information about the author

Day Three: Interview with the author

Here is my review of Jimmy's Stars. I hope you enjoy it.

Jimmy’s Stars
Mary Ann Rodman
Fiction
Ages 9 to 12
Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2008, 0-374-33703-9
When Ellie learns that her beloved brother Jimmy has been drafted and will be going off to war she is devastated. Fun loving Jimmy who calls her “Movie Star” and who tells Ellie that she is beautiful, is one of the best things in Ellie’s world and she cannot imagine what life will be like without him around. Ellie has already had to sacrifice so much for the war. Why does she have to give up her brother as well?
But she must, and on October 2nd, 1943 Jimmy gets on a train to go to boot camp. Before he leaves, Jimmy promises Ellie that he will come home for Christmas and she holds this promise close to her heart in the days following his departure. The situation is not helped at all when Aunt Toots comes to stay and when Ellie’s mother goes to work in a factory. Now Ellie has to do more chores than ever and her family members are rarely able to spend much time together.
When Jimmy does not come home for Christmas Ellie is hurt and furious. He’d promised her and she feels horribly let down. Christmas without Jimmy just doesn’t feel right and Ellie cannot understand how Jimmy could do such a thing. When the family of Victoria - Ellie’s mortal enemy who lives across the way - gets a telegram Ellie begins to realize how lucky she is. At least Jimmy isn’t in the line of fire on some island in the Pacific.
In this moving and powerful book readers will get a very real feel for what it was like to be a child on the home front in America during World War II. They will read about scrap drives, ration cards, and victory gardens, and they will discover what it meant to have to put up with things “for the duration.” Most of all of course they will see how painful and miserable it was for families who had sons, brothers, uncles, or cousins in the service. Sometimes one did not know where family members were for months on end, and always one lived with the fear that the Western Union telegram delivery boy would come to your door.
Packed with intimate details about life in America during World War II, this book will leave readers with a meaningful picture of what it was like to live through those very hard years.

The other blogs participating in this event are:

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/

http://achildhoodofdreams.blogspot.com/

http://rebeccaluellamiller.wordpress.com/

http://amomspeaks.com/

http://paraklesis.com/childrens_publishing_news

http://blbooks.blogspot.com

http://bookreviewmaniac.blogspot.com/

http://teenscenemag.com/bythebook

http://dolcebellezza.blogspot.com/

http://www.firesidemusings.blogspot.com/

http://homeschoolbuzz.com/reviewBlog.html

http://maggiereads.blogspot.com/

http://blog.mawbooks.com/

http://smallworldreads.blogspot.com/

http://thefriendlybooknook.com/

http://deweymonster.com/

Please visit these blogs to read their reviews and to see what activities they have planned for these three book blog days.
Bookmark and Share