Elisa Carbone

An enjoyable account of the early years of Jamestown from a child's perspective. Carbone shows the tenuousness of the early settlement and both the good and bad of the English settlers. Alongside this we get a look into the culture of Powhatan's empire and see friendships that grew between the two groups despite the situation. It's an interesting look at the actions and interactions of individuals compared to the groups of which they are members. It makes me wonder if there is any scenario show more in which Europeans arriving in the Americas wouldn't have been a disaster for the people already living here. show less

Diana Hopkins, whose father was an adviser to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, lived in the White House during World War II. There she got into plenty of mischief - putting a measles sign on her father's office door, placing tacks on all of the chairs set out for Eleanor Roosevelt's tea - while also dreaming of being a hero for her country. When President Roosevelt suggested that the country grow Victory Gardens, in order to raise produce for domestic consumption - Diana became the White show more House's Victory Gardener. Her efforts were publicized in the press, becoming an inspiration to her fellow Americans, both young and old, who were also growing Victory Gardens...

I enjoyed Diana's White House Garden, which presents an engaging story of one little girl's involvement in the larger events of World War II. Personal stories are often a wonderfully accessible entry into history for young readers, and a child's personal story is particularly effective in this respect. Children will enjoy learning about a mischievous young girl's life in the White House, her relationship with the famous Roosevelts, and her celebrated activity in the Victory Gardens campaign. The artwork, created with a combination of pencil, gouache and digital elements, captures the look of the 1940s, from the clothing to the White House interiors. Both author and illustrator have included a brief afterword giving more information, although it would have been nice if a list for further reading had been included. Recommended to anyone looking for picture-book biographies and/or works of history for younger children. show less

I picked up JUMP on a whim... I had never heard of it and had nothing more to recommend it than the description on the back and the interesting cover. After reading, I have absolutely no idea why no one is discussing this novel.

I'll admit that I was a bit worried about the climbing jargon when I first started reading. I have absolutely no experience with rock climbing or rock climbing lingo, but Carbone writes with ample detail and I had no difficulty deciphering and filling in the blanks. show more I'm actually thankful that she did include the jargon, even though she could have told the story without, because it made the characters much more real.

JUMP is told from alternating point-of-view by P.K. and the mysterious boy she runs away with, Critter. I may have questioned P.K.'s sanity a bit more if I didn't have the opportunity to see Critter's POV. After all, running away to perform a dangerous activity with a boy (named Critter!) that you've only known for a half hour (at the most) is most definitely insane. Usually, when a novel is told by two or more characters, I favor one voice over the other(s), but this wasn't the case with JUMP. I especially enjoyed Critter and P.K.'s budding romance, as the reader gets to experience it through both characters.

Generally, I have no problem figuring how how a story will end, but Carbone kept me on my toes. I loved that! There are a few heart pounding passages where I honestly had no clue what was going to happen next!

JUMP is rife with action, romance, and humor - the trifecta! I'm not sure how this novel slipped under my radar for so long, but I'm infinitely glad I stumbled upon it! show less

Beautiful XD

*review to come later

P.K. isn't doing so well at school and her parents have had enough so there shipping her off to boarding school miles and miles away. But P.K. is going to have the last word. Before they send her off she's going to run away. Not for long. Just long enough for her parents to change their minds. They just don't get her like her friends parents. I mean she showed them a book of teenage rebellion and she was allowed to study for classes at home. Not P.K.'s show more parents. So she wants to go on an adventure but no one wants to go with her until this boy walks in and he volunteers rights away. She doesn't know anything about him and that's fine by her... for now.

That boy I was talking about? Well his name is Critter and he's just got out of a psych ward. He has these really weird ideas about life. He sees the light of people so he can tell what their moods are. He has different philosophies about life and his parents just think he is insane. He had to get out of there. His parents never gave him a chance. So he's hitchhiking with P.K. this incredible cute girl that no one wants to go with. Life's a hundred percent adventure. There is no past or future only now. And now he's not going to worry about the cops or being locked up again. But what happens when he starts to really fall for the girl? Will he be able to let her get hurt because of his problems?

LOVED THIS BOOK! So beautiful.... I want more books like this. I love nature books/sport books like this. And I kind of like books about crazy people. But Critter isn't crazy... well it depends on your point of view but he's just weird to me. I really cared for Critter and that... that AUTHOR! RUINED MY LIFE FOR A SECOND! That was messed up... you know what you did. But then there is P.K. and she was like sort of the stable one. She's like you when you're reading about Critter. Lack of a better word she's the sane one. I understand some of what Critter was saying but some of the things just went over my head honestly. Basically live your life to the fullest.

Her parents were killing me! Both of their parents in fact. P.K.'s parents and Critter's needed to listen to their children. Everything could be solved if you just listened. Critter's parents at the end... I realized they didn't really care. There are a couple of loose ends at the end but that's too be expected. In the end this book left me wanting more... more books like this and more stories that are deep in its way like this. It was so rewarding.

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