The Lego Movie (2014)

★★★★

Fun characters in a cute and clever story. I must be getting old, though, because some of the action sequences seemed so fast-paced, with so many LEGO pieces flying every which way, that I sometimes felt like I couldn't even process all the images in a scene.

I didn't know a thing about the plot going in, and I was pleasantly surprised at how everything came together at the end.

Sebastien seemed to get bored about 3/4 of the way through the movie, and I think a lot of the jokes went over his head. But there was a LEGO Star Wars appearance, and he said he liked it.

Argo (2012)

★★★★

Wow! This movie fascinated me. I was only 3 when the Iran hostage crisis occurred. My high school U.S. History class only got up to WWII, so I only had a vague understanding that Americans were held hostage in Iran during Carter's presidency, that they were not released under his administration, and that the crisis contributed to why Carter wasn't re-elected. I had no idea that there were 6 Americans who had escaped being taken hostage and who had to remain in hiding until they could somehow get out of Iran.

For most of the movie, I thought I would give it 5 stars, but the final sequence of the escape was so over-the-top - obviously intended for dramatic effect - that it seemed unbelievable.

Any time a movie is based on a true story, I want to know how much the movie deviated from the actual events. In this case, I definitely recommend reading up on the historical inaccuracies. Mostly, it seems that too much credit was given to the CIA, and not enough credit to Canada, England, and New Zealand.

Lee Daniels' The Butler

★★★★★

Loosely based on the life of Eugene Allen, who served in the White House for 34 years.

Stylistically, Ken said this movie reminded him of Forrest Gump. The main character meets numerous U.S. presidents, and we see how American fashion, music, and culture changed over many decades.

Content-wise, this movie was a lot heavier. A boy raised on a cotton plantation uses his "house nigger" skills to land a job in a hotel, then in a fancier hotel, and finally at the White House. He spent his life trying to protect his sons from the violent racism he experienced in the south, but his older son chooses to move to the south and devote his life to the civil rights movement.

An inspirational story with a feel-good ending. Every American should see it.

Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

★★★★

Really interesting movie, and of course, afterwards, I had to Google which parts of the movie were true. I appreciated that it was sensitive about not including explicit images of neither 9/11 nor Osama bin Laden.

The Mouse and the Motorcycle (Ralph S. Mouse #1) by Beverly Cleary

★★★

I'm generally not a huge fan of anthropomorphized animals, and I am even less of a fan when the animals and humans converse with each other. Maybe I just lack the necessary imagination for suspended disbelief. I didn't even like the idea that the toy motorcycle could be powered to actually run simply by making fake motorcycle noises!

All that aside, I do see value in this book. Mostly I like it because it held Sebastien's interest. This was our first chapter book outside of the Magic Tree House series. He wasn't crazy about it, and he didn't ask me to read it as eagerly as he had asked for the Magic Tree House books to be read at bedtime, but he let me finish the book, and he wants to read the next one.

It's a cute story, with some nice lessons about being responsible and growing up.

The d'Artagnan Romances Roundup

I seem to have taken a long break in the middle of this series, but I hope to get back to it someday!

• The Three Musketeers (#1) ★★★★
• Twenty Years After (#2) ★★★★
• The Vicomte de Bragelonne (#3) ★★★★
• Ten Years Later (#4) ★★★★

Percy Jackson Roundup

I just realized I never made a roundup post for Percy Jackson & the Olympians.

I like the idea of this series, the way it introduces young readers to Greek mythology. But though the series started off strong, too many of the details frustrated me along the way.

• The Lightning Thief (#1) ★★★★
• The Sea of Monsters (#2) ★★★
• The Titan's Curse (#3) ★★½
• The Battle of the Labyrinth (#4) ★★★½
• The Last Olympian (#5) ★★

Winona's Pony Cart (Deep Valley #1) by Maud Hart Lovelace

★★★½

I think this book, in which Winona turns 8 years old, should be read in conjunction with the Betsy-Tacy series, after Book 2, Betsy-Tacy and Tib, in which Betsy, Tacy, and Tib are also 8 years old.

I enjoyed this book, and Winona's party makes for a fun read. But, I think part of the charm was that I was already so familiar with Deep Valley, so I'm not sure how it would hold up as a stand-alone book. Especially because - as much as I came to like her - Winona did seem awfully spoiled.

Leigh Botts Roundup

I surprised myself by giving both the books in this 2-book series a 5-star rating!

Even though I prefer reading series books back-to-back, I have to say, I think these two books should be split up by a few years. Dear Mr. Henshaw is very appropriate for elementary school readers, but I think kids will get more out of Strider if they read it in middle school.

• Dear Mr. Henshaw ★★★★★
• Strider ★★★★★

Strider (Leigh Botts #2) by Beverly Cleary

★★★★★

Even though I have clear memories of reading Dear Mr. Henshaw, I had never read Strider. Now that I'm reading all these series books with Isabelle, I have a kind of compulsion for finishing series that are the least bit interesting to me. As it turned out, Strider was published in 1991 - when I was about the same age as Leigh in the story! I'm kind of bummed now that I didn't read it when it first came out, but I don't even remember hearing about it at the time.

I read this book right on the heels of Dear Mr. Henshaw, but it still took me a few chapters to get into it.

If Dear Mr. Henshaw was at times wistful and sad, with Leigh feeling lonely and despairing, then this book is - for a while anyway - downright depressing. It's sad that Leigh and his father don't have a good relationship, especially since there's a sense that they did before the divorce, even if his dad was on the road a lot. I know it's the last thing that children of divorce of supposed to do, but there was a part of me that actually hoped Leigh's parents would get back together! Well, of course, that's not the sort of book that Beverly Cleary would write, and the story definitely picked up and ended on a very happy, satisfying note.

Even though Leigh has problems, he's actually very well-adjusted. He's self-aware enough to write about his feelings in a diary, and he has a healthy, balanced perspective on life. The reading level is appropriate for upper elementary school readers, but I think middle school students might get more out of it.

Dear Mr. Henshaw (Leigh Botts #1) by Beverly Cleary

★★★★★

I think reading the Daddy-Long-Legs books got me into a mood for reading epistolary novels!

This is another book I clearly remember reading as a kid. I think at the time, I just really enjoyed the letter format, and it was fun to imagine what Mr. Henshaw wrote in his responses.

Now, reading this book as an adult, I just think it's such a great book for young people. In contrast to some of Beverly Cleary's other books - like the Ramona and Henry Huggins series - Leigh Botts doesn't have a perfect home life. Written in 1983, this book seems to have more modern sensibilities. Plus, Leigh is in sixth grade, so he's a bit older than Ramona and Henry were in their books. Leigh's parents are divorced, he's the new kid in school, and he's just not happy. Even if a young reader doesn't exactly identify with Leigh and his problems, I think it's a good eye-opener that can help kids to be sensitive to other people's problems.

Poor Leigh Botts is really unhappy about many things. Basically, his letters to Mr. Henshaw, and Mr. Henshaw's measured responses, help him to sort through his emotions and figure out how to deal with his problems. The book left me with a nice feeling that even if life doesn't turn out the way you want - even if you do feel sad and lonely now - you really will be okay.

Also, Leigh's interactions with Mr. Henshaw, Mr. Fridley, and Angela Badger reminded me just how much of an impression adults can make in a young person's life. Even the smallest words exchanged can be so meaningful to a young person.

Otis Spofford (Ellen & Otis #2) by Beverly Cleary

★★½

Aw, I guess Otis Spofford is alright. This is another book that I have clear memories of reading when I was a kid, but I'm not sure where it fits in in today's society.

In this follow-up to Ellen Tebbits, we get to know the troublemaker in Ellen's class, Otis Spofford. Surprisingly - and this is the genius of Beverly Cleary - I actually got to feel sorry for Otis. On the one hand, he purposely went looking for trouble - though he called it "excitement". He knew he was misbehaving, and he wanted to see how far he could push Ellen and his teacher, Mrs. Gitler. And, he didn't care whose toes he stepped on in order to get what he wanted. On the other hand, we don't know where his father is, but we know he lives in a small apartment with his busy working mother who doesn't seem to have much time for him. He has his "pals" in school, but they aren't really "friends"; Otis doesn't ever consider George or Stewy's feelings when he goes about his search for excitement, and they egg him on in his bad behavior, never having to face the consequences of Otis's actions.

Most striking to me, as an adult reader, is how Otis's bad behavior in school was disciplined in school, and his mother was never informed of his antics. I wonder if that was really the case in the 1950's - that school was considered a much more separate institution from home. These days, when many schools have a climate of hyper-awareness when it comes to bullying, it seems like Otis's mother would be frequently called into school to meet with the teacher or the principal or a child psychologist.

Anyway, in the end, there's a solid lesson about standing up for yourself against bullies, but even though Otis got his "come-uppance", I'm not really sure there was any real resolution for him. I find myself wishing there was a sequel to this book, to find out how Otis might have been made to shape up for real. Maybe it would have involved some big brotherly treatment from someone like Hack Battleson, the football player Otis looked up to.

Ellen & Otis Roundup

Another 2-book "series", but still worth compiling!

Mostly, these two books seem dated to their 1950's time period. It's fun to read about Ellen and Otis, but their experiences don't seem like they would necessarily resonate with modern readers.

• Ellen Tebbits ★★★
• Otis Spofford ★★½

Ellen Tebbits (Ellen & Otis #1) by Beverly Cleary

★★★

I have clear memories of reading this book as a child! But interestingly, reading it as an adult, it mostly just struck me as old-fashioned. Even though it's set in about the same time period as the Ramona and Henry Huggins books, it just seemed out of date, while the Ramona and Henry Huggins series seem timeless.

Many of the anecdotes take place within classrooms, and I was so surprised to find myself feeling that the classroom dynamics were inappropriate, even though they reminded me of just what my own elementary school days were like. For example, rather than assigning and rotating job duties fairly among all students - which is the norm in today's classrooms - the teachers simply handpicked students to do special jobs, making the students who were never chosen feel as though the teacher didn't like them.

There was another kind of childhood injustice depicted in the book that I think is still quite prevalent today. More than once, Ellen is called out for whispering in dance class, even though she is only trying to respond to Otis's bad behavior by asking him to stop. Ellen gets disciplined, but Otis does not. I remember feeling wronged as a child when I was disciplined for doing something bad while the other child who "started it" got away with their bad behavior. Like Ellen, I didn't dare speak up to defend myself, and even if I did, it would probably have been seen as talking back to the adult, or tattling on the other student. I know that both my kids have experienced this type of inequity already, and at the very least, I like that this book shows them that they are not the only ones who are sometimes treated unfairly due to a misunderstanding or an adult's incomplete view of a situation. Or, as in Ellen's case, perhaps a true bias, as the instigator, Otis, was the dance teacher's son!

Anyway, I think Ellen and Austine's friendship was realistic, and on the one hand I think it's nice for children to read about all kinds of relationship dynamics, so they get to understand that a whole range of experiences - including fighting with friends - is normal. On the other hand, though, I really disliked the way Austine so quickly replaced Ellen, and what would become of Linda after Ellen and Austine made up? Still, I really liked that Ellen and Austine resolved everything between themselves, not just apologizing, but also fairly understanding the other person's point of view.

Daddy-Long-Legs Roundup

This series only includes two books, but I figured it's still worth listing them together.

Daddy-Long-Legs was perfectly suitable for Isabelle as a second grader, but Dear Enemy - which Isabelle didn't read - is probably better suited for middle school readers, or even high schoolers.

• Daddy-Long-Legs ★★★★★
• Dear Enemy ★★★★★

Dear Enemy (Daddy-Long-Legs #2) by Jean Webster

★★★★★

I dare say I'm becoming a Jean Webster fan!

This epistolary novel is a sequel to Daddy-Long-Legs, though Judy Abbott is no longer the letter-writer. Instead, we have Sallie McBride, Judy's good friend from college, writing from her new station as Superintendent of the John Grier Home, the orphanage where Judy was raised. From the start, it seemed like a good premise for a follow-up: Judy, now married to the president of the Board of Trustees of the John Grier Home, is able to use her wealth and influence to re-make the repressive institution for orphans into a modern, loving home for children.

Sallie McBride is a lively, competent, compassionate woman who doesn't back down from a fight. We read her letters to Judy and Judy's husband, reporting both professional and personal developments at the John Grier Home, as well as her letters to Gordon, a politician suitor in Washington, and Sandy, the visiting doctor for the orphanage. Sallie's personality shines through in her correspondences, and her letters are both entertaining and informative. She was remarkably efficient in her work, especially considering that so much of her time must have been taken up with letter-writing!

Keeping in mind that this book was first written in 1915, it's particularly interesting to read up on Sallie's ideas for improving the orphanage. Though many of the ideas may be dated - and we really ought to read the book through the lens of the time in which it was written - a surprising number of "modern" child-rearing theories outlined in the book are still embraced today!

Though Daddy-Long-Legs was perfectly suitable for Isabelle, this book didn't capture her interest quite as much, and she didn't read more than a few pages. As it turned out, that's probably just as well, because most of the book would probably go over her head. Much of the book actually consists of social commentary on feminism, philanthropy, and the care of orphans. Especially in light of the references to alcoholism, and one passing mention of prostitution, this book is probably better suited for middle school readers, or even high schoolers. Also, there's a bit of accented Scotch and Irish speaking that would be difficult for young readers to parse.

Man of Steel (2013)

★★★

To be fair, I should admit that I watched this movie very late at night, after the kids finally got to sleep. I kept nodding off during the first portion that took place on Krypton, I managed to get a second wind once we got to Earth, but then I started to nod off again towards the end.

Mostly, I was pleasantly surprised by the cast full of characters from many of my favorite TV shows! Elliot from "Law & Order: SVU", Toby from "The West Wing", and even Doug Stamper from "House of Cards". That was fun.

I'm not a huge Superman fan or anything, though I remember enjoying the Christopher Reeve movies many times as a kid. I found myself trying to make sense of this movie by wondering if the details fit in with what I previous knew about Superman. I wasn't exactly sure how Superman's parents were able to conceive and deliver him, when their species hadn't conceived or delivered babies in "centuries". With their civilization so far removed from natural birth, and babies being engineering for specific roles in society, wouldn't they have engineered natural reproduction right out of their species?

I was certainly entertained throughout, though all the destruction seemed kind of excessive, even in the context of an alien invasion.

Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown (Betsy-Tacy #4) by Maud Hart Lovelace

★★★★½

What a delightful read! There are so many things I enjoyed about this book.

The simple pleasures and sense of community in a small, old-fashioned town really came through. It was so charmingly quaint how in that time before cinema, all the children got excited for matinee productions that come through town with travelling theater companies. I loved how proud and grown-up Betsy felt when she was allowed to spend the day downtown by herself, and how the shopkeepers helped to make the girls' Christmas wishes come true.

In previous books of this series, especially in Betsy-Tacy and Tib, I think Betsy came across as kind of bossy. Now at age twelve, it's a pleasure to see that she has matured nicely. I wasn't too crazy about the way the three girls tried to manipulate Winona in the beginning, but since Winona saw through their antics and didn't mind, I figured I shouldn't mind either.

I like that the girls have clear personality differences, and I find myself mostly admiring Tib, who remains the calm, competent, matter-of-fact voice of reason.

I especially enjoyed the peek into old-fashioned slang, in which young people apparently expressed their dissatisfaction with others by saying, "You go way back and sit down!" Haha. Kind of like a turn-of-the-century version of the Fonz's "Sit on it!"

I stopped short of giving this book 5 stars because, like Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill, this book includes some language that historically would not have been offensive in the time of original publication, but in modern times, should probably be accompanied with some contextual explanation for young readers. Basically, the girls talk about performing in blackface. Of course, they mean no disrespect, but now that the idea is presented, it might be a good idea to let young readers know that performing in blackface is not acceptable these days.