1 to 5 of 5
Review Date: 10/22/2009
I checked this book out of the library for a 5 year old I baby sit occasionally. He can't get enough of this book! While a lot of the planes are too complicated for him to build on his own, it's been a great activity we can do together. He can't read the words, but the pictures are clear enough for him to understand. There's a lot of measuring, cutting, and glueing to be done on some of the more complicated planes, but I don't think older kids would have much of a problem. I'd say 95% of the planes we've built have flown impressivly well, in fact some of the easier ones fly the best.
Review Date: 9/5/2009
Helpful Score: 6
I truly enjoyed this book. It was beautifully written, and the metaphors that the author uses repeat themselves in different variations, tying the book together nicely. It didn't end as I'd expected it to, which was also a nice surprise. I'm not sure that this book is for everyone, it was hard to get into at first, but by the time the two aunts came into the story I was hooked. This is a short book and it is not a plot intensive/action packed book. There is a balance between the descriptive prose, and the plot so that both equally contribute to the book as a whole. Personally, I can't wait to read her other novels.
Review Date: 9/5/2009
Helpful Score: 1
I'd recommend this book. It was fascinating, at times disturbing, and yet thoroughly enjoyable. While it was long, every piece of the story was connected together, with an over ridding theme of how our families can shape us in ways we may or may not perceive. I personally liked the beginning of the book best, but I also enjoy historical fiction. Being from Michigan, I really enjoyed the settings of Detroit, Grosse Pointe, and Petoskey - all very accurate. Toward the end of the book, the exploration of gender issues and how we define male/female was thought provoking.
Review Date: 8/6/2009
Helpful Score: 4
A quick and easy book to read. I didn't find this book nearly as funny as some of his earlier books, although I still found myself laughing out loud at a few parts. If you are a David Sedaris fan, then I would consider this book a must read - so you can judge for yourself.
Review Date: 8/25/2009
Helpful Score: 5
I just couldn't get into this book. While parts were interesting, and the idea of what happened in OZ before Dorothy intrigued me, a lot of the plot just dragged on and on and I couldn't finish the book. I found much of the book too far fetched (even for OZ) and the youthful characters seemed to be too imature and lacked any of the refined characteristics you get from L. Frank Baum (or maybe it's that the characters are too mature, as this is not a children's book). I think if you're looking for a good fantasy story you may enjoy this book, but other than names and places, do not expect this to be the OZ of the original books.
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