Margo's Musings: What Fell From the Sky?

When we got to the library last week my little sister, Margo, was drawn right to the marble on the cover of a book. I couldn’t blame her. It looked magical! 

We took home It Fell From the Sky by The Fan Brothers and began reading right away. In the story, a mysterious item lands in the grass, and the insects are amazed. What is it? Where did it come from? They all have their own theories. Then the spider claims it as his, and he tells his friends that together they will build a place called WonderVille where other insects can come and see this curiosity. It takes a long time to build, but the exhibit is a hit. Ticket prices increase, the lines get longer, and Spider gets richer. He doesn’t notice that all the rest of his friends have left until a creature comes and snatches the item. Now what will Spider do? Where is everyone? He had been selfish, and now the garden is trampled and he's alone. Will Spider's friends come back? 

The illustrations in this book are beautiful. The way the marble stands out is magical and it makes it easy to see why the insects were mesmerized by it. The story made me want to take out my marbles and look at them closely. Which is what I did with Margo- showing her the colors and designs under my magnifying glass. We even went out and explored the lawn to see if our insects had any curiosity shows happening. None we have found so far, but we will keep looking.  

It Fell From the Sky is a book that helps teach a lesson about selfishness and greed, but it also shows us that we can work together and be better. It was a treat to read. There are so many details to explore on each page that this book will be fun to read again and again. 

Has anyone else read It Fell From the Sky? Or have you read another book by The Fan Brothers? We'd love to hear your thoughts.

Happy Reading!
~F

Answer to Fairday's Riddle: Satisfy Your...

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Excellent guessing, Riddlers! Next week we're following our curiosity. Tune in to find out how the answer ties into the story. See you all around the book block. ~ F

Cat's eyes watch for me. A rover in space I may be. Ponder the notion; peek through a door- what is it you're looking for? I'm that need to know, the reason you go. I inspire your inquisitive mind- treasure or trouble you may find.  

What am I? Answer: Curiosity!

Fairday's Riddle: Need to Know...

Hello, Riddlers! Can you guess the answer? My two year old sister, Margo, gets into all sorts when she follows hers. ~ F

Cat's eyes watch for me. A rover in space I may be. Ponder the notion; peek through a door- what is it you're looking for? I'm that need to know, the reason you go. I inspire your inquisitive mind- treasure or trouble you may find.  

What am I? Stop by at the end of the week for the answer.

I gave you a clue! 

Enter The Sandman!

In honor of the new Netflix show that came out this weekend, which turned out brilliant in my opinion, I am posting about my all time, absolutely favorite graphic novel collection, The Sandman by Neil Gaiman. A friend back in high school introduced me to these graphic novels, and I was hooked right away. They were not as well known in those days, but now the stories and characters have found their way into the hearts and minds of many people. As a huge fan I'm delighted that they are loved by readers everywhere. 

About the graphic novels (just a bit, because you should read them if you're into fantasy comic books): The Endless are anthropomorphic beings known as Dream, Death, Destiny, Desire, Despair, Delirium, and Destruction. They are siblings. The Endless are not gods; but they are immortal, and, in a sense, more powerful than gods, having an intimate connection to humanity. Dream (Lord Morpheus) is the ruler of the dream realm, and the story begins with his capture by a wicked sorcerer, who holds him prisoner and steals his tools; helm, ruby, and bag of sand. The stories and characters evolve, and hoo boy do they take the reader on a fantastical journey into the depths of imagination and myth. My favorite volume is Fables and Reflections; Orpheus's Song. 

Neil Gaiman is a master storyteller. He is a great influence on my creative writing, and his stories help me find truth betwixt the lines. The Sandman lives top shelf in my library. I started collecting these graphic novels at sixteen, and I believe I bought the last volume in my late twenties. The thrill of finding a new one in a book shop or comic store was exhilarating. I couldn't wait to get home and disappear into the pages. All of the illustrators who worked on The Sandman are amazing; they brought the stories to life in my imagination. 

Every volume I own came from special book nook. Cave Comics in Newtown, CT is a favorite place to seek out new graphic novels, and one day, I was lucky enough to find this gorgeous resin statue of Dream.

From the left: Death, Delirium, Destiny, Desire, Despair, Destruction (cut off)

These books are not for very young readers, but if you like comics and love to sail off into fantastical stories, The Sandman graphic novels may be for you. As I mentioned, I think the show on Netflix is excellent- but of course, nothing is as good as the original work. I wrote another post over at FairdaysFiles.com about my collection of graphic novels if you're interested in more stories that will whisk you away on a wondrous journey.

Things change, but some things stay the same. Listening to great music on headphones and reading excellent comics will forever be a source of joy for me, and it brings me great pleasure to share these stories with you.  ~ Jess Haight

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday # MMGM Book Review: Rescue by Jennifer A. Nielsen

 

Meg Kenyon has been counting the days since her father left their farm in France to go fight in World War II. She is worried about him, especially since there has been a rumor that he has been captured by the Nazis. She tries to stay close to him by practicing her code breaking, something she and her dad had worked on together. But the jar full of codes for her to break has dwindled, reminding her how much time has passed since she saw her dad. One night she discovers an injured spy named Captain Stewart in her grandmother's barn. She isn't sure if she should trust him or not, but after he hands her a coded letter from her father she decides to help him. He wouldn't have the letter if he was not trustworthy, right? Captain Stewart tells Meg that he was supposed to guide a family of German refugees across France and into Spain. There he was to meet Meg's father at a location he can't tell her. Since the Captain is too injured to lead the rescue he asks Meg to take over for him. The Nazis are searching the local farms looking for a spy and a radio operator. Meg's mother and grandmother are worried for everyone's safety so they agree that Meg can lead the rescue mission and leave immediately. But can she trust the German refugees? Right away it seems to her that there is something each of them is hiding. Although Meg knows the French countryside and mountains, will she be able to lead them all to safety? Can she crack the code and decipher her father's letter? And how will she know where to meet her father once she gets to Spain? You will be on the edge of your seat with Meg as she tries to piece together the clues and works on making her way along a dangerous journey. 

I read the Ascendance series by Jennifer A. Nielsen and really enjoyed it, but Rescue was the first historical fiction book of hers that I have read. I really liked Meg and how she gave everything a lot of thought. She was very good at cracking codes and trying to figure out who to trust. As she helped the British pilot and worked on the code in her father's letter I was rooting for her. It was so hard to know who Meg could trust and there was danger everywhere. The introduction of the German refugees made the story even more interesting. Like Meg, I worried if she could trust them. I like that Meg was brave and smart. She definitely took some risks! Her code cracking skills were impressive and it was easy to see what an important skill that is for a variety of reasons. The description of the mountains and paths in France made me feel like I was there. This is a story that will appeal to anyone who enjoys reading historical fiction, especially books set during World War II. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more of this author's HF books! 

Has anyone else read Rescue? Or have you read another book by Jennifer A. Nielsen? We'd love to hear your thoughts!

Happy Reading!
~L

For other MMGM posts, please visit Greg Pattridge's blog.

Answer to Fairday's Riddle: Oui, France!

Excellent guessing, Riddlers! We're off to France. Tune in Monday to find out how the answer ties into the story. See you all around the book block. ~ F

Langage du coeur. 

Oui, oui, une fleur. 

Locks on bridges, lost the keys. 

S'il vous plait, pass the cheese. 

Where am I referring to? Answer: France! (Paris counts) 

Fairday's Riddle: Locks and Love...

Hello, Riddlers! Can you guess the riddle answer? There were so many interesting and beautiful sights to see on my visit here! ~ F

Langage du coeur. 

Oui, oui, une fleur. 

Locks on bridges, lost the keys. 

S'il vous plait, pass the cheese. 

Where am I referring to? Stop by Sunday for the answer. 

I gave you two clues!