Usborne

NB: review discovered belatedly offsight to posting for completeness - from Sept 18.

What I really loved about the book was the window into backstage life at a theatre - whether this was due to research or excellent world building (or maybe both), this is conveyed fantastically. There’s lots of little nuances that, as a casual theatre goer, you wouldn’t know. Harcourt captures the enthusiasm for theatre across the character cast of actors and crew really well. The passion of the MC also show more comes through strongly, and this really carried the story for me.

I also enjoyed the relatively gentle romance - Hope’s got some very endearing traits and the crush on the love interest will resonate well with readers that age (and who have never grown up). The relationship between MC and star was nicely complex and nuanced, but leveraging a jealousy plot with it was less convincing.

There were some really great side characters that were nicely developed, and some nice realism moments fitting their principles (like the MC being realistically picked up on being late all the time).

In terms of the overall ask though - I came to the book after reading the cover quote ‘the UK’s answer to Rainbow Rowell’ and found that my expectations weren’t really met in that respect. It may be that ‘Unconventional’ better fits that bill, but this wasn’t on par with ‘Fangirl’ for me. The MC does go through a journey, becoming more aware and confident of her own abilities, but her family felt quite 2D at times - it was like Cinderella meets She’s the Man.

For diversity, I was a bit disappointed. Only the love interest being working class is explored much, and the MC (from upper/middle class) is baffled and unchallenged in her response to it. Aside from the best friend, I didn’t really pick up on much range of ethnicity - this might be as it was a small southern town setting. In terms of sexuality, there was a gay minor character, and a camp secondary character. There were some great depictions of strong females though.

So overall, it was a pleasant and easy read with compelling characters and setting - a great one to relax to and would particularly recommend if you’re interested in the concept of backstage at the theatre. show less

Usborne Fairy Tales for Little Children. London [England]: Usborne Publishing, 2008. Print.

This is a wonderful collection of 5 classic fairy tales, from "Little Red Riding Hood" to "Goldilocks and the Three Bears". A majority of them are originally by The Brothers Grimm. "Usborne Fairy Tales for Little Children" has been retold mostly by author, Susanna Davidson, who has updated the stories using modern language. Each tale is illustrated in a different comical style that children will show more undoubtedly enjoy. This would be suitable for the ages of about 4 to 7. show less

Packed with fun creative projects such as making pictures and cards. Clear and easy to follow.

Part One looks at how animals behave and cope with the habitats in which they live. Quizzes are scattered throughout the book. Part 2 is an introduction to scientific ideas. Answers are at the back of the book. Illustrations are colorful and clearly show the animal or scientific principle being discussed. The quizzes are geared toward the information given or to the reader's previous knowledge. Subjects such as moving, floating. flying, sound, light, evolution, and the balance of nature are show more explored. Would be interesting to almost any age person! Reference: Title page Table of Contents show less