(Book 2 in the 43 Old Cemetery Road Series)
Things are great at 43 Old Cemetery Road in Ghastly, IL. Mr. Grumpley, Olive, and Seymour have formed their own publishing company and plan to release the next three chapters of their book by Halloween. Their plans go awry when an anonymous someone sends a letter to Mr. Dick Tater. He declares the living arrangements at 43 Old Cemetery Road unsuitable. (Remember, Seymour's parents left him to the care of whoever rented the house. That would be Mr. G--old and grumpy. And don't forget, although she's a lovely woman, Olive is also a ghost.) Mr. Grumpley is carted off to the lunatic asylum and Seymour is packed off to the orphanage. Can the three reunite and meet their deadline?
What I thought: Another great book in this series. Funny and fast-paced. Also raises some thought-provoking questions. For example, what constitutes a family? I look forward to reading more about Mr. Grumpley, Olive, and Seymour in future books. As always, M. Sarah Klise's illustrations are top notch.
(Illus. M. Sarah Klise. Boston: Harcourt, 2009)
Showing posts with label Humorous. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Humorous. Show all posts
Friday, May 28, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
Dying to Meet You by Kate Klise
Ignatius B. Grumply gets more than he bargained for when he rents a house in Ghastly, IL for the summer. Grumply wants peace and quiet so he can write the next book in his Ghosthunter's series. What he gets is 11-year-old Seymour Hope, his cat Shadow, and the ghost of the former owner Olive C. Spence. Grumply hates children and cats. He doesn't believe in ghosts. It's going to be a long summer.
What I thought: I loved this book. I can't believe I've never read anything by Kate Klise before. This book was highly entertaining from start to finish. I like that the book is comprised of letters, notes, and manuscript pages. Such a collection will certainly appeal to Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid fans. Klise's humor reminds me of Polly Horvath's books. M. Sarah Klise's illustrations were great. I look forward to the next book in the 43 old Cemetery Road series, Over My Dead Body (2009).
(Illus. M. Sarah Klise. Boston: Harcourt, 2009)
What I thought: I loved this book. I can't believe I've never read anything by Kate Klise before. This book was highly entertaining from start to finish. I like that the book is comprised of letters, notes, and manuscript pages. Such a collection will certainly appeal to Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid fans. Klise's humor reminds me of Polly Horvath's books. M. Sarah Klise's illustrations were great. I look forward to the next book in the 43 old Cemetery Road series, Over My Dead Body (2009).
(Illus. M. Sarah Klise. Boston: Harcourt, 2009)
Monday, October 12, 2009
The Vacation by Polly Horvath
Horvath, Polly. The Vacation. New York: FSG, 2005.
When Henry's mom unexpectedly decides to become a missionary, his parents travel to Africa leaving him in the care of his aunts Magnolia and Pigg. The aunts don't like children so they spend a large part of their time ignoring Henry. This is fine with him. He endures their stay from the comfort of his closet until the aunts decide to redecorate the house. Even his closet isn't safe from their design schemes. After Magnolia's illness, the three set off on a vacation.And what a vacation it is. With no destination in mind, they simply go where they want when they want. In the meantime, Henry's mom gets lost in Africa ans his dad contracts malaria. To say the very least, it is an eventful summer.
What I Thought: Horvath does not disappoint. I expected to be amused and I was. I liked this book because it was from Henry's point-of-view. All Horvath's other books either revolve around a female protagonist or a family. The Vacation was a pleasant change. I was also glad to see whatever the aunts' faults, they did keep Henry in books.
When Henry's mom unexpectedly decides to become a missionary, his parents travel to Africa leaving him in the care of his aunts Magnolia and Pigg. The aunts don't like children so they spend a large part of their time ignoring Henry. This is fine with him. He endures their stay from the comfort of his closet until the aunts decide to redecorate the house. Even his closet isn't safe from their design schemes. After Magnolia's illness, the three set off on a vacation.And what a vacation it is. With no destination in mind, they simply go where they want when they want. In the meantime, Henry's mom gets lost in Africa ans his dad contracts malaria. To say the very least, it is an eventful summer.
What I Thought: Horvath does not disappoint. I expected to be amused and I was. I liked this book because it was from Henry's point-of-view. All Horvath's other books either revolve around a female protagonist or a family. The Vacation was a pleasant change. I was also glad to see whatever the aunts' faults, they did keep Henry in books.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
My One Hundred Adventures
Horvath, Polly. My One Hundred Adventures. New York: Schwartz, 2008.
Jane decides to pray for one hundred adventures. Little does she know what a risky thing adventures can be. Her summer is filled with adventure, though not perhaps the kind she wanted. She drops Bibles from hot air balloons and ends up blackmailed into babysitting the Gourd children.
What I thought: This has all the wit and humor of the other books Horvath has written. It is perhaps a bit more serious in nature than her others (Everything on a Waffle, When the Circus Came to Town, An Occasional Cow, The Trolls). Jane seems more mature than precocious. I guess this is what comes of being the eldest of four with no father and a poet for a mother. An enjoyable read with plenty of humor. When you want to laugh, read something by Horvath.
For a full bibliography of Horvath's books, visit her website.
Jane decides to pray for one hundred adventures. Little does she know what a risky thing adventures can be. Her summer is filled with adventure, though not perhaps the kind she wanted. She drops Bibles from hot air balloons and ends up blackmailed into babysitting the Gourd children.
What I thought: This has all the wit and humor of the other books Horvath has written. It is perhaps a bit more serious in nature than her others (Everything on a Waffle, When the Circus Came to Town, An Occasional Cow, The Trolls). Jane seems more mature than precocious. I guess this is what comes of being the eldest of four with no father and a poet for a mother. An enjoyable read with plenty of humor. When you want to laugh, read something by Horvath.
For a full bibliography of Horvath's books, visit her website.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Review: An Occasional Cow
Horvath, Polly. An Occasional Cow. New York: FSG, 1985.
Imogene Spark understands summer. She knows what to expect. Imogene goes away to camp where she secludes herself in the craft room making wallets. Her occupation is not one of choice but necessity. Imogene lacks the skills to excel at athletics, so she makes wallets.
But that all changes the summer her camp burns down. Her parents decide to send her to Iowa to visit her cousins. Imogene is a New York City girl through and through. She is appalled at this turn of events. As Imogene tells her best friend Edie, "I am not going to camp this summer. I am not making wallets this summer. This summer, I am being sent to stay with my cousins and my aunt and my uncle and their pigs and mosquitoes and cows and cornfields and potato fields and probably other dangerous forms of wildlife in, and I hope you appreciate this, Iowa" (15).
While Imogene dreads the thought of spending her summer in such a rustic place, she's soon caught up in the antics of her cousins. They train pigs to curtsy, spy on neighbors, take moonlight swims, and hold regular meetings of the AGAC (Association of Great Agate Collectors), BTWS (Bathtub Walking Society), and LCCS (Laundry Chute Climbing Society).
What I thought: I was not disappointed in this book. When you read a book by Polly Horvath, you expect to laugh continuously. And I did. Imogene reminds me of Ivy from Horvath's When the Circus Came to Town. This book is definitely a light-hearted funny read. Perfect to read in the middle of winter or at the start of summer vacation.
Imogene Spark understands summer. She knows what to expect. Imogene goes away to camp where she secludes herself in the craft room making wallets. Her occupation is not one of choice but necessity. Imogene lacks the skills to excel at athletics, so she makes wallets.
But that all changes the summer her camp burns down. Her parents decide to send her to Iowa to visit her cousins. Imogene is a New York City girl through and through. She is appalled at this turn of events. As Imogene tells her best friend Edie, "I am not going to camp this summer. I am not making wallets this summer. This summer, I am being sent to stay with my cousins and my aunt and my uncle and their pigs and mosquitoes and cows and cornfields and potato fields and probably other dangerous forms of wildlife in, and I hope you appreciate this, Iowa" (15).
While Imogene dreads the thought of spending her summer in such a rustic place, she's soon caught up in the antics of her cousins. They train pigs to curtsy, spy on neighbors, take moonlight swims, and hold regular meetings of the AGAC (Association of Great Agate Collectors), BTWS (Bathtub Walking Society), and LCCS (Laundry Chute Climbing Society).
What I thought: I was not disappointed in this book. When you read a book by Polly Horvath, you expect to laugh continuously. And I did. Imogene reminds me of Ivy from Horvath's When the Circus Came to Town. This book is definitely a light-hearted funny read. Perfect to read in the middle of winter or at the start of summer vacation.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath
Horvath, Polly. Everything on a Waffle. New York: FSG, 2001.
“I live in Coal Harbor, British Columbia. I have never lived anyplace else. My name is Primrose Squarp. I am eleven years old. I have hair the color of carrots in apricot glaze (recipe to follow), skin fair and clear where it isn’t freckled, and eyes like summer storms” (3).
Primrose is satisfied with her life. She has a mother and a father. She’s happy, but things change one day in June. There’s a bad storm. Her dad’s out fishing. Her mom goes to find him. They don’t return.
“There was a memorial service for my parents but I wouldn’t go. I knew that my parents hadn’t drowned. I suspected that they had washed up on an island somewhere and were waiting to be rescued. Every morning I went down to the docks to watch the boats come in, sure that I would see my parents towed in, perhaps on the back of a whale” (4).
Primrose never doubts that her parents are still alive. She endures forgetful old ladies, careless uncles, and nosy guidance counselors. Is Primrose right about her parents being alive? To find out, read Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath.
“I live in Coal Harbor, British Columbia. I have never lived anyplace else. My name is Primrose Squarp. I am eleven years old. I have hair the color of carrots in apricot glaze (recipe to follow), skin fair and clear where it isn’t freckled, and eyes like summer storms” (3).
Primrose is satisfied with her life. She has a mother and a father. She’s happy, but things change one day in June. There’s a bad storm. Her dad’s out fishing. Her mom goes to find him. They don’t return.
“There was a memorial service for my parents but I wouldn’t go. I knew that my parents hadn’t drowned. I suspected that they had washed up on an island somewhere and were waiting to be rescued. Every morning I went down to the docks to watch the boats come in, sure that I would see my parents towed in, perhaps on the back of a whale” (4).
Primrose never doubts that her parents are still alive. She endures forgetful old ladies, careless uncles, and nosy guidance counselors. Is Primrose right about her parents being alive? To find out, read Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath.
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